Bees Need Honey
by Fanwoman
Summary: Yatsumi's employer is plotting to find her a husband, and Shino is ensnared in the madcap scheme. Can romance blossom under the light of false pretenses? Plenty of humor and charm combine with romance and drama to create a unique and entertaining love story.
1. Yasumi and the Latest Guy

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Normally I do not write OC-centric stories, but while helping a friend develop this, it was abandoned by the writer and became my own. While many readers may disregard OC-centric stories, I am hoping those familiar with my other work will give this a try. It'll be a long one with a humor-centric theme. This is set about five years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE LATEST GUY

Yatsumi was fully prepared to accept that she would die an old maid—literally. Her chances of becoming anything better than a servant were slim to none, for she was too old to become an apprentice and had never learned to be anything other than a noblewoman.

False accusations regarding her father's death had caused her mother to be cast out of her father's clan, forcing her mother to find work and housing at a shrine in order to survive. Only the kindness of Lady Reiko, a friend of Yatsumi's late paternal grandmother, had spared her a similar fate. Although her father's family had seen to it her betrothal was ended and no noble family in Honey would have her, Lady Reiko was determined to find Yatsumi a husband, and she knew just where to look.

While often more difficult than being part of a noble clan, becoming part of a ninja clan would secure a comfortable future for Yatsumi. There were always some looking for brides for their young men, and Lady Reiko had the resources and connections to have them come to her under the pretense of guarding her from unknown enemies.

Although she wouldn't dream of spoiling Lady Reiko's fun—for the spirited elder did so enjoy having handsome young men protect her—Yatsumi didn't know why Lady Reiko had yet to accept defeat. After the parade of shinobi who had been hired over the last six months, she really didn't see the point. First there had been the very uptight, pale-eyed young man with the lovely hair and chilly disposition that the full force of her charm couldn't even begin to warm. Then there came the jovial, rotund fellow who never stopped talking about the girl back home he was clearly planning on marrying. Most recently had been the wiry, misogynistic fellow with shifty eyes and a diamond-sharp intellect. He'd seen through their ruse in less than 18 hours and had managed to get reassigned in 18 more.

Since the end of the war, a lot of young men from Konoha had married, so there weren't many single shinobi left to choose from. What hope was there of finding one who would appreciate the likes of her? Yatsumi had no delusions she was a great beauty, nor was she more than competent in domestic or musical arts. The only thing she was especially good at was talking, which she didn't consider a particularly useful talent in a potential bride.

Sighing, Yatsumi resisted leaning against the gate as she waited for the latest victim of Lady Reiko's scheme. She wondered what unconquerable attribute this one would have. Perhaps there would be an arranged marriage he couldn't get out of, or maybe he'd prefer men?

No, it was worse than either of those. For some unfathomable reason, Lady Tsunade had sent them a _kunoichi _this time! With her assured, athletic stride and shrewd gaze, the lovely blond woman walking around the bend could be nothing but a shinobi.

Just as Yatsumi's heart began sinking to her toes, she spotted the mysterious figure behind the kunoichi. As soon as she noticed, she knew from the way the second ninja moved that it was a man. He was tall and heavily clothed, despite the warm day, and dark goggles covered his eyes. Between his high collar and hood, almost none of his face was revealed, but what was visible suggested a strong, straight nose. His broad, smooth cheekbones implied an attractive jawline, and the hints of his hair showed dark, unmanageable locks that might be unattractive on a woman but seemed suitable for this tall, enigmatic man.

His slouched posture and hands in pockets, combined with his disinterest in the kunoichi's ambivalence toward him, made Yatsumi wonder if he was not a favored son of Konoha. Regardless, if he was here, he must belong to some clan. His apparent gaze, for it was impossible to be sure where he was looking with those goggles on, shifted from a dragonfly buzzing by to her. His furrowed brow furrowed further. Having been caught staring, she felt a blush creep up her neck to her cheeks. Fortunately, they were close enough that she could cover it with introductions.

Bowing deeply, Yatsumi straightened with an inviting smile. "Welcome to Lady Reiko's residence. I'm Yatsumi, Lady Reiko's lady-in-waiting. Would you do me the honor of sharing your names?"

The kunoichi gave her a smile that probably broke hearts wherever she went. "I'm Ino Yamanaka."

From behind the man's collar came a deep, toneless voice. "Shino Aburame."

Such an effeminate family name for such a manly man, for now that he was close, she couldn't help admiring the breadth of his shoulders. Yatsumi repressed a sigh and fervently hoped he had no betrothal and didn't prefer other men.

"I hope your journey was a pleasant one, Lady Yamanaka, Lord Aburame." With a wave, she beckoned them inside then closed the gate behind them. "I shall guide you to refreshments and inform Lady Reiko of your arrival. Please feel free to ask me if there's anything you need."

* * *

She was neither tall nor short, thin nor heavy, stunning nor ugly, but she was impossible not to notice waiting by the tall wooden gate in her remarkable kimono. The bottom of the body and sleeves were a riot of colorful flowers over a grass-green background. Above the embroidered blossoms was all variety of garden-friendly insects. But it was not just the kimono that caught Shino's eye. She had noticed him fairly quickly, which was exceptional in and of itself, given he was partnered with Ino, who many considered the most attractive and distracting kunoichi of their age. When the young woman at the gate did notice him, her face lit with avid interest. Of course, she didn't know who or what he was—that his clan housed and controlled deadly insects that lived beneath their skin—but it was still an unusual reaction. Then, when he turned his head in her direction, she blushed. That was definitely noteworthy. A member of the most attractive clan in Konoha had already worked this assignment. Why would she blush at him? It was curious and would require further observation.

Introducing herself as the lady-in-waiting of their employer, her polite greeting was delivered with earnest cheer that made him feel sincerely welcomed. As she turned to lead them into the noble's complex, he couldn't help noticing the barrette that held her straight brown hair in a simple but fetching knot. It appeared to be made of silver, yet it was not the metal but the design that interested him. The barrette was fashioned into the shape of two dragonflies chasing one another, with semi-precious stones coloring their bodies and eyes. While the whims of fashion didn't interest him in the least, he was aware enough of what was popular to know it was an odd and probably dated ornament. For some reason, it pleased him an insect-themed item held such sentimental value to her that she would wear it openly, for sentiment seemed the most logical reason to motivate a young woman to so distinctly fly in the face of fashion.

Despite the naturally cautious, reserved nature of shinobi in general, and Aburames in particular, he couldn't help but be inclined to allow his first impressions to influence his perspective. She seemed perfectly charming, and he chose to think of her favorably.


	2. Yatsumi and the Extra Guest

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Time to establish the setting and scenario! This is set about five years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE EXTRA GUEST

"There are _two_ of them this time!"

Everyone stopped to look at Yatsumi. After having settled Lady Yamanaka and Lord Aburame in the greeting room and announcing their arrival to Lady Reiko, Yatsumi had made a beeline to the staff room, since all their plans would have to be altered.

"Two?" As head of the staff and oldest of the servants, Chisono knew all that went on in the house, including Lady Reiko's plans for Yatsumi. "How is that going to work?" Her tone suggested she wasn't referring to the practical logistics of hosting a second guest.

Yatsumi shook her head. "Lady Yamanaka is apparently in charge of this mission while Lord Aburame will be performing a supporting role."

"A kunoichi?" Looking up from her sewing, Nagisa's scarred face brightening. After having been beaten and left for dead by her husband because she was barren, she had been saved by a kunoichi. "Shall we prepare the Chrysanthemum Room for her?" It was the most femininely decorated of the guest rooms.

"Yes." Chisono nodded. "Well considered, Nagisa. Why don't you and Furuko get started?"

With a familiar step, tonk, step, tonk, their peg-legged chef entered from the kitchen. "What's all the fuss?"

"There are _two_ shinobi, Ushie."

The cook's eyes widened. "I just sent Suzu to the market for dinner!"

The most mobile of the servants present, Yatsumi dashed out the back door of the kitchen, almost tripping as she initially missed one of the outdoor clogs used for tending the vegetable garden. "Suzu!" Fortunately the assistant chef was just opening the back gate. "Suzu, wait!"

"What is it, Yatsumi?" Suzu smiled with perfect white teeth.

Yatsumi had always thought it unjust that someone as kind and patient and beautiful as Suzu would never marry because she came from Hoten, a town near the border of Stone that had been devastated by brigands during the war. All the women who had survived had been violated, and according to the staff, it had taken a year after starting to work with Lady Reiko before Suzu had felt comfortable enough to go into public alone.

"There's a second shinobi."

Suzu daintily covered her laughter with her free hand. "Do you know which one you're supposed to pursue?" She was the closest to Yatsumi in age among the servants and had shared many a confidence.

"The one who isn't a kunoichi."

Blinking her big brown eyes in surprise, Suzu smiled again. "How interesting! I wonder why a kunoichi was sent this time."

With a huff, Yatsumi shook her head. "It is a mystery."

"Is he handsome?"

It was the first question Suzu usually asked, but Yatsumi blushed as she tried to figure out what to say. "I think so." In response to Suzu's look of confusion, she added, "He's tall and very...covered. Oh, you'll understand when you see him."

Suzu offered her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "It will all work out in the end. But for now, I'm guessing I should buy more than I'd been planning?"

"Yes. Do you need extra money?" She hadn't thought about it as she'd rushed from the house.

"I'll be fine." After a final pat, Suzu opened the back gate again, causing the bells attached to it to chime. "You go and dazzle that young man before Lady Reiko arrives."

Fortunately, Yatsumi had a couple of minutes to pat the garden dust from her tabi and the bottom of her kimono before the tea and snacks were prepared. After a final check in the small mirror that hung at face height in the staff room, she tapped her barrette for luck before grabbing the tray and heading back to their guests.

* * *

As Shino and Ino waited in a pleasantly appointed greeting room, a small swarm of his insect familiars returned to him from their initial scan of the property, buzzing through a pair of doors that had been opened to the sunny entrance garden. "How odd."

Ino gave him a demanding look, so Shino elaborated without further prompting.

"It seems the entire staff is female."

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Ino huffed. "That _is_ odd."

The scuffing of slippers on wood brought their attention to the sliding doors opposite the garden view. They were adorned with a simple painting of a field of flowers topped by bees and various butterflies. He couldn't help noting he didn't recognize two of the species portrayed.

Sliding one door open, the young woman with the bright kimono entered with a tray. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

She stepped out of her slippers with a delicate femininity he found refreshing after a week of traveling with his aggressively feminine mission-mate. With a sweep of her hand along her shin to keep the edge of her kimono in place, Yatsumi knelt on the tatami and set the tray down so she could use both hands to close the door behind her, a traditionally formal maneuver that seemed second nature to her. Then she rose with the tray to deposit it on the small table between him and Ino. "I'm sure you must be parched after your long journey."

They had spent the night in a well-stocked Suna border station and had only been traveling since morning, but there was no need to say so.

As Yatsumi poured tea for them, Ino sniffed, and her eyes lit with delight. "It smells like honeysuckle."

Nodding with a smile, their hostess poured a second cup before offering Ino the first. "Lady Yamanaka, your sense of smell is very keen! Perhaps you would like to participate in a perfume contest during your stay? Lady Reiko is quite fond of them and has one every month."

To Shino's understanding, such distractions had lost favor among Fire's aristocracy a generation ago, so he wondered how old their client was.

"So long as it doesn't interfere with my duties." After a sip, Ino gave a hum of satisfaction.

"I hope that means you like the tea." Their hostess chuckled sweetly as she handed him his. "It's Lady Reiko's personal blend and goes especially well with the honey cakes." Presumably, those were the golden hexagonal treats on the tray she'd brought.

As he took the small cup and saucer, his fingers brushed hers, and he felt an unexpected spark of awareness that caused the hive of beetles that lived beneath his skin to alter the rhythm of their movement. He could swear the young lady's pupils dilated slightly at the contact, and there was no denying the blush that dusted her cheeks. Perhaps, living surrounded by only women, she was shy about the touch of men, yet the warmth of her smile seemed to deny that possibility. As he unbuttoned the upright collar of his inner jacket so he might enjoy the refreshments, it was obvious she was interested in seeing what lay beneath, but she did her best to not stare.

The tea was exceptionally light and refreshing, with a subtly sweet floral aftertaste. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Lord Aburame. Please let me know if you need assistance or have any questions." She gestured to a hand bell on a little shelf in the corner. "All the main rooms have a bell, so don't hesitate to ring for anything you might need."

"As shinobi, we tend to be self-sufficient."

She nodded. "As well we have learned from the others who have taken this assignment." Placing her neatly manicured fingertips on the floor in front of her knees, she bowed until her forehead touched her hands. "My apologies, Lord Aburame, if my words seemed to imply otherwise."

He had kept his tone neutral, yet she had immediately responded to the mere possibility his feathers might be ruffled. Her social grace impressed him. "There is no need to apologize."

"Yeah, because you didn't say anything wrong." Ino frowned at him. "Let the woman finish telling us about the place."

Her chastisement rankled him, but he refused to show it. After all, he had hopes of mending fences with her during this assignment, though he was still unsure what he'd done to require it. After all, it was _her_ cousin who had left _him_. Regardless, with three months and a mission that should require minimal effort for people of their skills—single shinobi had managed it before—it should give him time to reestablish their normal working relationship, awkward though it may have been.

Yatsumi raised the teapot so she might refill Ino's cup, distracting the kunoichi from her negative focus on him. Since Ino's cup was still half full, he belated realized that might have been Yatsumi's intention.

"Lady Reiko prides herself on her hospitality and wants you to enjoy your stay." She offered him more and refilled his cup with practiced ease. "You are our honored guests, and it is the staff's duty and pleasure to attend to your needs." After setting the teapot down, she arranged her fingers to form a rectangle. "The estate is of a traditional design." With a twitch of her joined index fingers, she nodded toward the view. "The entry, greeting room and dining room are here on the east side." She shifted her right hand. "The south side includes the entertainment rooms and Lady Reiko's suite, which face the pleasure gardens." Shifting her left hand, she continued. "The north side includes the kitchen, staff room and most of the staff quarters. Behind that are the vegetable and herb gardens and a smaller gate used for everyday deliveries." Flexing her thumbs, she indicated the last area of the estate. "The western wing includes the guest rooms, with the rotenburo and necessary rooms in the north west corner of the grounds."

Ino paused, a pastry halfway to her mouth as her blue eyes gleamed with pleasure. "Rotenburo?"

Lowering her hands, Yatsumi leaned slightly forward with a confiding smile. "We here in Befu are fortunate to have many hot springs, so most homes use them for bathing." She straightened and spread her hands in an encompassing gesture. "It is rare for an estate this size to not have a rotenburo." Once again, she bowed to Shino, though not as deeply and formally as before. "Unless Lady Reiko chooses to host other guests during your assignment, you will be the only male here, Lord Aburame. As such, we apologize for limiting your access to the rotenburo to one hour every evening, usually seven to eight or eight to nine, and half an hour every morning, between seven and eight. The sign outside will indicate when it is appropriate for you."

Given the nature of his clan's abilities and that the movement of the insects beneath his skin was sometimes visible, he preferred to not bathe among strangers, so it suited him to bathe alone, regardless of any time limits. "That will be more than sufficient."

After straightening, Yatsumi picked up the teapot and offered another cup to Ino. "Lady Yamanaka, we have chosen the Chrysanthemum Room for you." She offered him more, which he gladly accepted. The tea was so good he considered offering to buy some to give as gifts upon his return to Konoha. "Lord Aburame, you will be in the Cypress Room. If either of you would prefer other accommodations, please, do not hesitate to let us know."

The swish of heavy silks alerted them to the arrival of their client. Yatsumi set down the teapot and moved to kneel and slide the door open. The woman who filled it was one of the tallest he'd ever met, and her regal bearing suggested age had been kind to her. There was no indication of geriatric maladies, though her pure white hair suggested she was either quite senior or from a family that naturally had such coloring.

Her kimono was a mellower, more mature version of Yatsumi's, with an elaborate floral display on a deep green background. Keen gray eyes scanned them both as Yatsumi bowed and announced, "Lady Reiko Zeniya, this is Lady Ino Yamanaka and Lord Shino Aburame."

Following Ino's lead, he bowed to their client and chorused. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, a pleasure." Lady Reiko knelt on a cushion that had been placed while he'd bowed. "Why are you wearing a hood indoors?" There was an imperious quality to her voice that suggested she was used to people doing as she dictated.

Yatsumi's cheeks grew red as she filled the third teacup on the tray.

He was often questioned about his attire, so it didn't bother him. "It is my preference, Lady Zeniya."

With a humph, she sipped her tea. "Call me Reiko." She glanced between them. "So how does this work with two?"

Ino set her cup and saucer on the table. "I am the leader of this mission, Lady Reiko. My specialties include infiltration, adaptation and, like Shino, observation. Shino also has sensory abilities and is skilled in going unobserved."

Lady Reiko raised an eyebrow at that. "I find it unlikely someone so tall could easily go unobserved."

Deciding it was unproductive to be irked by their client, Shino remained silent while Ino waved a dismissive hand. "You'd think that, but he's always been the hardest to notice of our generation."

Deciding not to be irked by Ino was another matter altogether, though it was the closest to a compliment as she'd come with such a remark. Yatsumi offered to refill his cup, and the warmth of her smile dissipated his irritation in the most peculiar way as his hive's rhythm altered again.

"Hmm..." Lady Reiko took an elegant nibble of a honey cake. "Either way, your mission will be the same. We've been having disruptive incidents with increasing frequency. It's bad enough when they occur on a regular day, but I will _not_ have my social life affected by this nonsense."

"Incidents?" prompted Ino.

"Bags of snakes loosed in the gardens, undermined walls, blocked pipes, fires in the compost." Although her tone remained the same, there was an aura of displeasure about her as she spoke. "There was even a tree outside the grounds that fell into the rotenburo. We had to stay for a week at an inn while repairs were being made."

Unable to resist, Shino asked, "The previous shinobi were unable to resolve these problems?" Ino had mentioned her teammate Shikamaru had briefly taken this assignment, and he was the greatest mind of their age.

Lady Reiko shook her head with a downward tug at one corner of her wide, thin mouth. "No, though the incidents diminished while our shinobi guests were here, as though those involved are afraid of you all." Setting down her cup with a decisive clink, her commanding gaze swept over them. "My expectations are simple—I want you to monitor my property to prevent such occurrences, find and subdue the culprits, and, above all, keep me and my staff safe."

He nodded as Ino said, "Yes, Lady Reiko."

"Good." She held her cup out to Yatsumi who filled it without haste. "Now that that's settled, Yatsumi, I'd like you to show Shino around the southern gardens while I discuss the details with Ino. I'll ring when I want you back."

After setting down the teapot, Yatsumi bowed. "Yes, Lady Reiko." Moving to the door, she knelt again to open it with a smile. "This way, Lord Aburame."

* * *

DETAILS

Onsen = hot springs, baths heated by hot spring water

Rotenburo = outdoor bath, usually supplied by onsen water, it's a luxury in Japan


	3. Yatsumi and the Garden Walk

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE GARDEN WALK

Between the entertainment rooms and his client's suite was a hall that allowed access to both the central garden, around which the estate had been built, and the vast pleasure gardens that filled the southern half of the property. Being late spring, the grounds were a riot of color that rivaled his guide's kimono.

They weren't ten strides down the main path when Yatsumi bowed to him, causing him to stop. Straightening, her brows knit. "It is not my place to apologize for Lady Reiko, but I feel obliged to express my regrets if you were made uncomfortable by her comment regarding your attire, Lord Aburame."

Although he was used to having his clothing choice questioned by clients, he was unused to talking about the social propriety of it. "I was not made uncomfortable. Why? Because it is not the first time such a comment had been made."

Her lips dipped briefly into a frown before she continued down the path. "While your patience with such personal prodding is admirable, that does not make it all right." Sensing she had more to say, he remained silent as they passed through the shade of a pair of plum trees that flanked the path. "As Lady Reiko's lady-in-waiting, it is my responsibility to see to our guests' comfort as well as that of the household overall, so there are other reasons I feel the need to raise this topic."

"Such as?"

"When Lord Akimichi was protecting us, we had no yukata or kimono his size, so we had to have them made." Although there was some indication of uncertainty in the shifting of her arms, first up to her obi then back down to her sides, there was none in her voice. "Lord Aburame, would you prefer we have hoods added to the yukata and kimono we have prepared for your stay?"

He guessed the kimono would be for the social gatherings his client had mentioned. While Ino might be used to it, he had never had an assignment that required him to wear civilian clothes. Objectively, he didn't care—a mission was a mission—but subjectively he was unsure how he felt about it. He'd worn the hood up on his clan's traditional trench-coat as soon as he'd gained the right to wear it by qualifying for the middle rank of ninja. Then again, he did not need such a signifier to feel confidence in his abilities.

"That will be unnecessary. Why? Because I have no qualms about lowering my hood or going without one, as needed."

Her expression brightened. "Truly?" In response to his nod, she tilted her hazel gaze skeptically. "Then why didn't you lower it when Lady Reiko mentioned it?"

"Because she did not ask me to lower it."

After a brief wide-eyed look, she covered her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed. He was unsure why she found his response so humorous, but for some reason it pleased him that she did. It wasn't often others found him amusing.

At last she caught her breath and lowered her sleeve. "Please forgive me, Lord Aburame, but do you mean to tell me if Lady Reiko had simply asked you to lower your hood you would have?"

"Yes."

Although she sobered, her smile remained. "Perhaps you are already aware, but it is common for matriarchs to rule the families of Honey. Lady Reiko has been the head of her own household since before she was widowed, so she is quite used to having her way." Drawing to a halt, she bowed to him again. Raising her head, there was an earnestness in her eyes that struck a chord within him. "Although I have no authority over you, if I were to ask you to lower your hood for the soul sake of pleasing my mistress and thus maintaining the household's serenity, would you consider it?"

Charming. His initial impression had been accurate. She was perfectly charming, and her consideration of others seemed to run deeper than mere duty. He smiled behind his collar and responded by lowering his hood. The sensation of the sun on his scalp was pleasant, but not nearly as pleasing as the elation in her eyes.

"You are most considerate, Lord Aburame, though I am certain Lady Reiko feels a hood is only unnecessary indoors." She raised a hand as though to reach out to him before drawing it back to herself. "With such a fair complexion, do you not risk burning?"

"Given the time of day and year, our latitude and altitude, and the length of this path, I am certain I shall be safe." He nodded to her. "But I thank you for your concern."

Heading down the path again, she gave him another concerned look. "I feel I must warn you that Lady Reiko will likely comment on your goggles, as well. I don't suppose those..."

He shook his head. "Concealing eye-wear is a practical and traditional requirement of my clan."

With her right hand, she made a gesture that suggested determination. "I shall do my best to dissuade Lady Reiko from pursuing that topic." Then she made a waving motion, as though to shoo aside an irritating insect. "But enough of that. As a shinobi, you must have traveled many places, met many people. Please, tell me more about yourself. My understanding is that ninja in the Land of Fire begin their careers in teams of three classmates. Is Lady Yamanaka one of your teammates?"

She gave him a curious look as he cleared his throat to hide a laugh at the thought. "Ino's family is part of a trio of clans that has worked in concert for generations." Having had an Akimichi and a Nara work at the estate, he couldn't help wondering how she didn't already know that. Then it dawned on him she might have asked for conversation's sake. It brought to mind the infiltration tactic of "playing dumb" he had learned during his academy days but had never needed to use. "That is not the case with mine. My teammates include a Hyūga and an Inuzuka."

Placing a hand against her chest as though to restrain her enthusiasm, her hazel eyes sparkled with admiration. "My! How prestigious to work with a Hyūga. Aren't they one of the noble clans of Konohagakure?"

"Yes." He debated with himself about mentioning that the Akimichis and Aburames were also great clans, but he decided it would sound conceited.

After waiting briefly for him to elaborate, she continued without him. "I have not heard of the Inuzukas. What are they like?"

This time, he didn't restrain his chuckle, and she smiled at the sound. "The Inuzukas partner with dogs they are seldom separated from, and they tend to be bold, brash and loud when not working. Although most valued for their tracking abilities, they are fierce warriors. Despite the small size of their clan, they are quite proud, as demonstrated by the red fang tattoos they carry on their cheeks."

"Goodness! They sound most intimidating." She lithely knelt beside an errant lily stalk that was drooping onto the walk and slipped the frond inside its wire support. In doing so, she nearly blended in with the bright greenery around her. Straightening, she smiled at him. "But if your teammate had a canine partner, wasn't it almost as if you has three teammates, instead of two?"

He nodded and wondered at her insight. Most people who'd never met an Inuzuka didn't think of it that way, if they thought about it at all. "Unlike other dogs, Inuzuka partners can fully understand human speech, and they can communicate with their partners in their own language. So Akamaru can convey to us all he perceives through Kiba."

"Akamaru?" She gave him a confused look. "There are red dogs in the Land of Fire?"

"No." A butterfly landed on her sleeve and attempted to find the nectar of an embroidered flower. Something about it made him feel even more at ease with this young woman who seemed so absently comfortable with the nature around her in spite of the restrictive formality of her clothes and position. "Most Inuzuka dogs look like massive wolves, but Akamaru is normally white. His name is derived from a special ability." Deciding the tale might entertain her, he held up his hands, cupping them to the appropriate size and causing her to shift her attention to them. "When we first became a team, Akamaru was this small, and as often as not, he rode on Kiba's head."

"On his head?" Her face filled with delight. "I have heard of people carrying cats around their necks, but a dog on one's head...?" She laughed, and it pleased him. "Surely that drew much attention to them?"

"They were perfectly capable of drawing attention without doing that. It is in their nature. But now..." He shifted one hand to hip height. "Akamaru is this tall at the shoulder, and their roles have reversed. Kiba rides him as one might a horse."

With a smiling yet skeptical look, she waved a hand in front of her nose. "You tease me, Lord Aburame. How can that be?"

He didn't blame her for her doubt; it was difficult to believe. "Yet that is the case. I promise Ino will corroborate my story."

"It is such a curious tale, how could I not ask Lady Yamanaka about it, too?" She gave him a nodding bow without stopping. "I hope you will share it with Lady Reiko. I'm sure she will be as amused by it as I have been." Running the fingers of one hand along her kimono's opposite inner sleeve, she seemed hesitant again. "Based on your description, it sounds as though your Inuzuka teammate is quite lively." Dropping her hands to her sides, she smiled. "I do not mean any offense, but you seem to be more of a quiet and calm person. And although it is presumptuous of me to project Lord Hyūga's tendencies onto the rest of his clan, if your Hyūga teammate was remotely like him, I would think it might be challenging to have had Lord Inuzuka as your teammate."

Another thoughtful insight. He smiled. "Your assessment is accurate, and although it was often difficult in the beginning, there has been much about communication, trust and teamwork Hinata and I have learned from Kiba and Akamaru."

She seemed gratified by his response, like a child who had tried something daring and succeeded. "And what of your clan, Lord Aburame?" It was a conveniently open-ended question that left him in control of what he chose to share.

Again, he rejected the idea of mentioning the importance of the Aburames to Konoha. "Since my clan's strengths include stealth and information gathering, we are inclined to be unobtrusive."

"So Lady Yamanaka..."

"Was not exaggerating." It was something he had grown accustomed to, being overlooked, but he had never liked it. He did not need to crow about his accomplishments like Kiba did, but he strongly preferred to have them acknowledged. Although his attitude regarding the issue conflicted somewhat with the inclinations of his clan, he also felt his clan's continued well-being required that their contributions be better appreciated.

Shaking her head, her barrette glinted in the sun. "Like Lady Reiko, I find that difficult to believe."

Normally it was not a point he was inclined to prove, so he surprised himself by impulsively suggesting, "Would you like a demonstration?" They were approaching a pair of cherry trees, so he could use the dappled shade to his advantage.

She glanced around. "Right here? In the middle of the garden?"

"Yes." He pulled his hood back on. "Close your eyes, count to three, then open them."

Obediently, she did as he asked. Having already started the process of dissipating his chakra signature, he used the seconds her eyes were shut to align himself with one of the plum trees. Although the trunk was far narrower than his girth, it wouldn't matter in full stealth mode. The sense of fading into the natural world enveloped him, and his hive vibrated in contentment.

Upon opening her eyes, Yatsumi looked left then right then spun in a full circle, her gaze slipping past him twice. Initially, her expression was one of awe, but after a few moments, worry began to knit her brow. "Lord Aburame?" Her tone was slightly plaintive, as though she felt apologetic, though he couldn't imagine why.

Just as he began to raise his hands to lift his hood, his hive's frequency altered. Since he was neither agitated nor in battle, the difference should have been inaudible, but Yatsumi seemed to react to it, turning to face him. "Lord Aburame!" Apparently amazed, she reached out, as though wanting to prove he was real by touching him, but she stopped short. "Were you there the whole time?"

"Yes."

Her hands fidgeted briefly at the knot of her obijime before dropping to her sides. "Surely it was some trick, like sleight of hand."

"No."

She gazed searchingly up at his goggles for a long moment. "How astounding that someone as noticeable as you is capable of disappearing from plain sight."

Noticeable was not a word that had ever been associated with him, and that she considered him so kindled a soothing warmth in the wounded part of his heart that had been devastated by the end of his first romance. Disinterested in having his growing admiration for her head in that direction, he started down the path without comment. That seemed to subdue her gregariousness, for she walked beside him without further attempts at conversation. Yet the silence between them did not seem awkward.

As they turned a bend that directed them back to where they'd started, he spotted an immature praying mantis on her sleeve, challenging the one depicted there. It would doubtless be unwelcome in the house.

"Yatsumi."

She smiled up at him, though the cheer that had been there before seemed to have dimmed.

"Your sleeve..."

Glancing down, she chuckled. "I think the kimono guild Lady Reiko patronizes is almost _too_ skilled. Whenever I wear this one, I must always check for unplanned company before returning to the house!" She knelt and lifted her sleeve and, with a few taps from the back side, encouraged the insect to abandon her kimono for the adjacent bush.

"Most people would have swatted it away." He left off the "in fear and revulsion" he felt should go with it.

With a shrug, she straightened. "Most people don't appreciate the true value of all that surrounds them. Although fearsome in appearance, mantises are beneficial for gardens. They are like powerful lords whose duty is to protect others. While you might not want to anger one, you should be safe as long as you show them respect."

It occurred to him that, until then, the whole of their exchanges had been about him. Few bothered to ask him about himself, yet despite the rarity, their talk had flowed so naturally that he hadn't even noticed. As the first comments to give insight into her, he felt compelled to draw out this part of their conversation. "That is an enlightened view."

She blinked in startled surprise, as though she had been caught doing something she ought not, then glanced away. "That is kind of you to say, Lord Aburame. My father was an insect enthusiast, and although I do not share his passion, it has influenced my thinking." Running her fingers along her inner sleeve again, she asked with a hint of trepidation. "Do you think it strange?"

"Not at all. I, too, am an insect enthusiast."

She turned to him with a renewed spark in her eyes. "Truly?"

"Yes." Smiling behind his collar, he was gratified at having solved that minor mystery. "Your barrette came from him."

He had never understood what it meant when others would say they saw someone else "close himself off," but it was the only thing that would explain how her gaze could be so agonizingly haunted one moment then blandly pleasant the next. His reaction to seeing it caused his hive to shift in uncertainty, but they settled with a quick mental command.

"Yes...yes he did."

In the distance, a bell rang. Yatsumi straightened at the sound. "Goodness! That's the dining room bell." She headed down the path at a speed that was less than hasty but more than the leisurely pace of their stroll.

Naturally, he followed after her. "How can you tell?"

"Each room has a bell with a different tone. Doubtless, you will become familiar with them by the time your assignment is done." She transitioned from her outdoor clogs to her slippers with a gentle sway before kneeling to face her clogs and his outward for whomever might use them next. "I hope you're ready for lunch, Lord Aburame. Please don't hesitate to make specific requests. Our chefs like to showcase their talents."

As they proceeded down the hall, he felt a lingering sense of discomfort and belatedly realized he felt badly for having inadvertently upset her with his comment about her barrette. He was the heir of the Aburames; he did not apologize except to those superior to him. But he felt the need to express something to counter the distress he had caused her. As they reached the dining room door, he finally thought of something that might do.

"Yatsumi."

Fingers on the door handle, she paused to face him. "Yes, Lord Aburame?"

"Thank you for the walk. It was extremely pleasant." Although he might never speak with the eloquence of his teammate Hinata, there was no reason he shouldn't put effort into improving his social skills. His assignment here would be the perfect place to practice.

A blush dusted her cheeks as her gaze grew earnest once more. "You are most welcome, Lord Aburame. I couldn't agree more."


	4. Yatsumi and the Wasp

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war.

So _Naruto_ has ended. Hinata gets all her dreams come true, and the rest of her team are living jokes? I can't say I'm okay with that. At least Shino has a job; whereas, poor Kiba looks like he's a bum. Why is there no Team 8 love in the series like there is for the other teams?

Ah well. If Kishimoto can't treat Team 8 well, I will.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE WASP

Yatsumi could listen to his voice all day. Deep, rich, smooth and subtle, she wanted to wrap herself in it and use it as blanket at night. And his face! When he'd lowered his collar to take his tea and lunch, he'd revealed himself to be as handsome as she'd imagined. She had confirmed with Lady Reiko that Lord Aburame was unattached, but she really couldn't fathom why. Although his speech pattern was rather reserved and stiff, he seemed perfectly pleasant. Perhaps women in Konohagakure preferred shorter men?

While lighting the stone lanterns in the entry garden as evening approached, she was startled by the unexpected crunch of gravel behind her.

"I know."

Yatsumi turned to find Lady Yamanaka, who was standing defiantly with her hands on her hips and an angry expression on her face.

"You know...?"

The kunoichi made an impatient gesture. "Lady Reiko told me everything. I can't say this to her, but I'm telling you—I don't like it." She took a step closer, causing Yatsumi to instinctively retreat. "I've had my share of questionable assignments, but in Konoha we place our comrades' welfare above all else. I can't believe the Hokage has agreed to this _once_, let alone _four_ times."

Heart in her throat from weathering Lady Yamanaka's displeasure, Yatsumi set aside her lighting lantern and bowed deeply. "Please forgive Lady Reiko, Lady Yamanaka. Although you may rightly question her means, know that she is motivated by deep kindness."

"Deception is no way to start a relationship." Her voice was low but adamant.

"You are, of course, correct, but I have no choice in the matter. I would never break Lady Reiko's confidence by revealing her secrets, even those that involve me." She sighed. "It is not as though it matters, since I don't see the possibility of her scheme in matching a servant and shinobi succeeding." As much as she was growing to admire Lord Aburame, he'd become withdrawn the minute she'd sincerely expressed that admiration.

"With the way you keep blushing at him, I wouldn't be so sure."

"Excuse me?" She could only remember blushing twice—when they'd first arrived and when Lady Reiko had questioned his attire, both of which had been inspired by embarrassment.

There was an exasperated huff. "Straighten up, already. I'm going to get a crick in my neck looking down at you."

Yatsumi did as she was bid and, since she was receiving a talking-to, waited for Lady Yamanaka to continue.

"Look, Shino is one of my least favorite guys in Konoha right now." With a frown, she thrust an accusing finger at Yatsumi. "But that doesn't mean I'm okay with having him tricked or trapped into a loveless marriage, even if that's my mission. It's just despicable."

Yatsumi briefly considered the possibility that Lady Yamanaka's passion for the topic might be due to her facing a loveless marriage herself. She shook her head. "As I am sure you are aware, Lady Yamanaka, not all of us have the luxury of being able to choose a love match, but I would rather die an old maid than trick or trap a man into marriage, even if I loved him."

That seemed to bank the flames of Lady Yamanaka's wrath. She huffed again, though this time it seemed it was contemplative. "Did you fawn over the others before us, too?"

Shaking her head again, Yatsumi picked up her lantern. "As lady-in-waiting, it is my responsibility to actively inspire and maintain the contentment of Lady Reiko and her guests."

Lady Yamanaka's eyes narrowed. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

A spark of indignation lit a fire in Yatsumi's gut, so it took effort to maintain a cheerful tone. "Lady Yamanaka, would you say my treatment of you has been lacking in comparison to my treatment of Lord Aburame?" She took great pains to be a good hostess, and the implication she was favoring Lord Aburame hurt her pride.

After a moment's contemplation, Lady Yamanaka shook her head and sighed. "No, I guess not."

She bowed to her guest. "If you'll excuse me, I must finish lighting the lanterns."

"One more thing." Lady Yamanaka seemed to mull her thoughts before crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture Yatsumi found unexpected. "It's none of my business, but I thought you should be warned. Shino just had a bad break up. So even if something heats up between you two, you'd probably just be the rebound girl."

Although it saddened Yatsumi to hear it—not only because it further lessened her unlikely chances but also because it meant he had suffered heartbreak—it was a profoundly personal and thoughtful piece of information to share. Yatsumi gave her another low bow. "Your warning is most considerate. You have my gratitude." Straightening, she smiled in spite of the sense of hopelessness that briefly washed through her. "Although I do not see how any man's head would turn my way while residing in the same household as a beauty such as you, Lady Yamanaka."

To Yatsumi's complete surprise, Lady Yamanaka blushed. Then she laughed and shook her head. "Like _that_ would ever happen!" After her dismissive declaration, she headed back to the house. "See you at dinner."

* * *

The meal had been satisfying and enjoyable, with Yatsumi seated across from him playing the perfect social shield to some of Lady Reiko's more pointed questions.

"_Perhaps it's my age speaking, but the temperature seems perfectly comfortable. You'll make me feel I'm not accommodating my guests and should pull the heaters from storage."_

"_But my lady, aren't shinobi meant to be mysterious? Don't you think Lord Aburame enhances that aura with his attire?"_

"_You make me feel I should dim the lights. It's night. Are those really necessary?"_

"_My lady, perhaps you don't yet know, but such eye-wear is a tradition of the Aburames, a proud signifier of his clan."_

To say it was rare for him to encounter a young woman who dealt so agreeably with him would be an understatement. Even on missions outside the Land of Fire, where no one knew what he was, girls had always steered clear of him...if they'd noticed him at all. Yatsumi's behavior was puzzling and pleasant and made him think more favorably of her, even if she had demonstrated similar social grace toward Ino.

Having recently come to the painful end of his first romance, Shino had no particular interest in involving himself in a new one, but he couldn't help wondering how he might have felt about Yatsumi if he had met her before his disastrous decision to pursue Ino's cousin. Although Kiba had initially suggested using logic and reasoning and a list of attributes Shino found favorable was a poor method for selecting a significant other—"_What kind of idiot idea is that? You don't _plan_ a relationship. It just happens naturally."_—in the beginning all had gone according to design, and Shino had grown comfortable with Maemi. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she had ended it, and she'd done so with such detached honesty that it was as though he had been eviscerated by an impossibly sharp blade, for he'd barely felt the sting of her loss compared to the aching emptiness it left behind.

"_Sometimes things just don't work out." Maemi shrugged at the news that one of her friends had ended her relationship. Shino had always admired her level-headedness and practicality. "There's no point in making a big deal about it. Just figure out a way to accept it and move on."_

As much as Shino had tried to move on in the weeks following the end of his own romantic relationship, he was still sore about the issue. To add insult to injury, Ino had not dealt with him the same since, which was professionally inconvenient to say the least, especially since she had never been a particularly supportive mission-mate toward him in the first place.

After a refreshing soak in the rotenburo, he was relaxing on a chair in the part of his room that had wooden flooring and was open to the central garden. While not as impressive as the southern garden, it was equally well tended, with sculpted pines that breathed a fresh forest scent, as well as a small koi pond. The occasional splash of fish chasing insects was pleasing, reminding him of how small his own life was in the greater scheme of nature. Behind him, a wasp pinged occasionally into the bulb of the central overhead light of his room, and in the distance a pair of owls began hooting to one another.

Yatsumi appeared on the far side of the veranda that circled the garden. Hands full with two trays of tea, she slid the door to the kitchen shut with her foot in an easy fashion that spoke of long habit. Shuffling her way along, she stopped at Ino's room to drop off one tray. Then she made her way to him. Despite his decision to avoid romantic entanglements, a smile came unbidden to his lips as she spotted him and beamed.

"I'm so glad you seem to be enjoying the garden, Lord Aburame."

Just then, the wasp pinged. Yatsumi glanced toward it and grew stock still, her fear palpable. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed. Were it not for his ninja reflexes, she would have crashed to the floor along with the tray. He had not held anyone so closely since Maemi, and even though he was predominantly alarmed by the unexpected faint, he was reminded of how good it had felt to have someone to hold. Aburames seldom experienced such familiarity, even within the clan.

Ino was on the veranda in a heartbeat, her eyes widening then narrowing into a scowl after taking in the scene. She stomped over, but before she could speak Lady Reiko was there.

"Whatever has happened?" With her hair down and the soft drape of her night robe, she seemed a much gentler soul.

"I do not know."

Unable to privately criticize him, Ino made herself useful cleaning up the mess of the tray while, in the distance, a servant made her way toward them.

The wasp pinged, and Lady Reiko sighed. "That explains it." In a less than ladylike move, she stepped onto the tatami of his room then used her slippers to kill the wasp with a definitive clap. Shino stifled a cringe at the needless death.

Ino stepped out of their client's way as she moved to the edge of the veranda to let the body of the wasp fall into the bushes there. "That explains what, Lady Reiko?"

"It's a long story, and I'd rather not tell it while poor Shino sits here with Yatsumi." She turned her gray gaze to him. "She won't be waking any time soon. Would you please carry her to her room?"

"Of course." Lifting a limp body was never particularly easy, unless it was on one's back, but he managed it without seeming graceless. The edge of her obi's bow poked him in the abdomen, an oddly intimate sensation despite them being fully clothed and in full view of others.

"This way." Lady Reiko crossed his room and slid open the door for him as he and Ino followed her down the hall. "Yatsumi is the granddaughter of a late friend of mine. They belonged to a prominent family here in Honey that never much cared for Yatsumi's father's matrimonial choice of a love match with a commoner. Oblivious of his family's ill will, Sugahiko went about his life as though all was well, not once considering creating safeguards for his wife and daughter's futures."

Sliding open a door near her suite of rooms, Lady Reiko entered first to turn on the light and straighten out the neatly folded futon along one wall. The room was small, only three mats in size; just enough space for bedding and a chest of drawers. Pulling back the comforter, she stood aside and gestured to the futon, onto which he lowered Yatsumi.

"Thank you, Shino. Would you please step outside?" He did as he was bid as Lady Reiko gestured to his mission-mate. "Ino, please help me with her obi." Over the sounds of shifting fabric, she continued her tale. "On a trip to the mountains to escape the summer's heat last year, they were airing out the family cabin upon arrival when Yatsumi opened a door onto a wasp's nest. Doting father that he was, Sugahiko protected her with his body, but it turned out he was allergic to their stings and died shortly thereafter." Apparently they had settled Yatsumi, for Lady Reiko and Ino left the room and turned out the light. Sliding the door shut, Lady Reiko sighed before heading back to Shino's room. "Sugahiko's aunt, the head of the family, accused Yatsumi's mother of killing him. Since his body had been cremated in the mountains, there was no evidence to prove their innocence, and so they were cast out of the family. With nothing having been set aside for them by Sugahiko, they were destitute. That girl's whole life was ruined because of wasps, so she is understandably frightened of them."

"She should have been old enough to be betrothed. Shouldn't she-"

Lady Reiko cut Ino off with a raised hand. "Yatsumi's great-aunt is spiteful as well as powerful. She not only ended the betrothal but also made sure no noble family in Honey would have her." Letting her hand fall, their client shook her head with a look of disgust. "She's even gone after me. Were it not for my connections to the Land of Wind and Land of Fire, I would have no business with which to support myself—all because I took Yatsumi in."

Ino muttered, "Damn!" under her breath and made a sour face.

Reaching out, Lady Reiko took Shino's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you for catching her. She is especially dear to me, and she has hurt herself in past encounters with wasps."

He nodded and wondered if their client was aware of what he was. "It is my duty to protect everyone in your household, Lady Reiko."

"I appreciate your diligence nonetheless." Releasing his hand, she glanced from him to Ino and back. "I know you both are veterans of the war, and that shinobi are usually brave to begin with. Please do not think less of Yatsumi for this fearful weakness."

With a wrinkle of her nose, Ino shook her head, causing her loose hair to sway. "Hey, I'm not a fan of wasps, either. The little bastards kill butterflies, and that's not good for my family's flowers."

"We all have our weaknesses," he offered.

They both gave him penetrating looks, making him wonder if he'd said something wrong. At last Lady Reiko smiled. "That's surprising to hear coming from a big, strong man like you."

"It is the truth, and now that I am aware of this issue, I shall do what I can to avoid it."

Reaching out, Lady Reiko patted his arm. "Thank you." Her tone seemed completely sincere then it changed back to her domineering elder voice. "But that's enough excitement for one evening. I'm going to bed!"

"Good night," he chorused with Ino.

Once Lady Reiko was out of hearing range, Ino gave a contemplative huff. "I thought you said she wasn't afraid of bugs."

Shino shrugged. "Evidence suggested that to be the case."

"Weird. Maybe she's only afraid of wasps."

Terrified seemed a more appropriate term. "With good reason, it would seem."

"Yeah, poor Yatsumi." Ino yawned loudly and without restraint. "Well, she should be safe from them with you around."

Although it had been said teasingly enough, the thought pleased him that he could protect someone from their deepest fear merely by being an Aburame, by being himself. "Good night."

"See you in the morning." With a wave, Ino closed her room's door behind her.

Setting the fresh tray of tea and senbei on the veranda for a servant to remove later, Shino closed up his room and prepared for bed while pondering the dichotomy of Yatsumi's fear of wasps and implied tolerance of other insects. Again he contemplated how he might have felt if he'd met her before involving himself with Maemi. The memory of her weight and warmth in his arms made him idly wonder what it would have been like if she had woken up to find him holding her. Would she have stiffened in discomfort or blushed in embarrassment? Or would she have smiled up at him with contented pleasure, as he'd often wished Maemi would have?

Perhaps being surrounded by nothing but women was affecting his brain, for he had no business thinking such fanciful thoughts. He was on a mission, and she was a servant of a client. That was the simple truth of the matter, and he wanted nothing more than to keep things simple while he recovered from his heartache.

* * *

DETAILS

Senbei = grilled or baked rice crackers that are usually savory and normally delightfully crisp


	5. Yatsumi and the Shopping Trip

SPOILERS: Through the end of the manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks Shino deserves a little love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE SHOPPING TRIP

_Why am I in my juban?_

It took a moment upon waking for Yatsumi to recall why she'd come to find herself in such a peculiar situation. She shuddered in dread, then blushed in chagrin and finally blushed in hopeful admiration. Since there was no headache, such as those she'd get when striking her head on the floor from a faint, she couldn't help hoping Lord Aburame might have been involved in preventing it. No matter how embarrassing such a demonstration of her fear of wasps might be, if he'd helped, it would mean there was kindness and thoughtfulness in him!

"_Shino just had a bad breakup...you'd probably be the rebound girl."_

With effort, Yatsumi shoved both optimism and pessimism aside to focus on what needed to be done. It was too early in the day for such concerns.

Since she'd missed a chance to bathe the night before, she had to rush to fit it into her morning. It was early enough that the only one she saw was Wakume, the head gardener, who waved from the far side of the narrow western garden. Yatsumi managed to be ready in time to eat with the other servants before she began her duties.

"Are you all right?" Suzu gave her a worried look as she sat down beside her. Of course everyone would know about the encounter with a wasp.

Nodding as she swallowed her miso, Yatsumi's smile turned rueful. "I didn't hit my head this time."

There was a hint of pleased amusement in Chisono's eyes. "That would be because Lord Aburame caught you before you could."

Many of the others giggled and chuckled as Yatsumi turned beet red in mortification, though that eternally hopeful part of herself cheered at the information.

After filling a latecomer's bowl, Ushie waved her rice paddle at the table. "You shouldn't laugh at Yatsumi when more than a few of you wish it could have been you who'd been saved by such a tall manly fellow."

That inspired more amusement, as maid Furuko mused, "I wonder what's behind the collar?"

"I've never seen a nobleman with such stiff hair," added the gardener Momiji, as she gestured at her head with her three-fingered hand.

"What about Lady Yamanaka's?" Nagisa sighed before taking a bite of the egg on her rice. "Have you ever seen such beautiful hair?"

Nesting her empty bowls, Chisono got their attention by clearing her throat. "Lady Reiko is hopeful she'll share her hair-care secrets with us."

The table erupted in excited babble while Suzu asked quietly. "What do you think?"

Knowing the question was not about hair, Yatsumi shook her head. "Due to recent personal issues, Lady Yamanaka thinks it unlikely, and she is also displeased with her participation in Lady Reiko's plans." Shrugging, she offered her friend a forcefully cheerful smile. "What will be will be, though I confess I like this one best so far."

Suzu gave her a reassuring pat on her arm as Yatsumi rose to put her bowls in the appropriate bin. "Good luck."

Laughing at herself, Yatsumi shrugged again. "If only luck were enough!"

* * *

"Good morning, Lord Aburame."

Shino slid open his door to find Yatsumi dressed in a solid olive-green kimono, similar to the ones the other servants wore. The color complimented her creamy skin and brown hair in a way the bright green had not. As soon as he'd noted the fact, he wondered at himself. Aesthetics were not usually something he concerned himself with, least of all as a primary observation. His hive shifted into a soothing pattern of movement, as though to reassure him.

"I have been informed you are responsible for my lack of injury last night." She bowed low, her barrette shining dully in the dim light of the hall. "You have my sincerest gratitude and my apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused you."

"There is no need for apology or thanks. It is my duty."

She straightened with a smile. "That may be, but you have mine all the same." With a wave to the south, she turned to guide him. Although he'd already memorized the estate's layout and needed no guidance, he followed her without comment because he reminded himself it was her job to attend to her lady's guests. "Our apologies for not offering a full breakfast before Lady Reiko is ready. Understandably, she does not maintain as rigorous a schedule as shinobi seem to. But we have refreshments in the greeting room. There, Lady Yamanaka is enjoying a game of shogi with the head of the staff before breakfast is served. Would you care to join them?"

"I would rather take another stroll in the garden." Observing Ino's competitiveness was hardly entertaining to him.

"Would you prefer to stroll alone or have company?"

His hive altered its rhythm, and she again seemed to pick up on it, glancing at him with a curious and attentive expression as though he had cleared his throat. "Either would be acceptable. Do you have a preference?"

The question surprised her as much as it did him. As a servant, even an elevated one, no doubt she was seldom allowed to conduct herself as she pleased, and the prospect of having her own wishes considered seemed to startle her. Likewise, he could fathom no reason for making the offer, even if he did find her company perfectly pleasing. He had already determined he was disinterested in new emotional entanglements. So why had he asked?

She blushed and smiled, her hazel eyes sparkling with girlish pleasure. "Of course I would prefer to accompany you, Lord Aburame." There was no doubting the sincerity in her voice, and once again he was warmed by the notion of a young woman being honestly eager to spend time with him. Of course, she had no idea what it meant to be an Aburame.

At such an early hour, the garden had a more subdued, ethereal quality. Bits of mist wafted around the trees, and many of the blossoms were still closed, waiting for the warmth of the sun to open them. This time, he found himself discussing the different countries he had visited over the years as she effortlessly guided the conversation to meaningful and amusing moments in his life. He had just begun to consciously ask her questions about the estate when the dining room bell rang and they returned for breakfast.

It had been a long while since Shino had eaten anywhere with a serving attendant, but despite not partaking of the meal, as she had the previous lunch and dinner, Yatsumi continued to keep the conversation going, adeptly dodging touchy subjects before they fully surfaced.

As Ino shared her thoughts on the flowers of the Land of Fire's southern coast, Lady Reiko slapped her chopsticks against their stand with a definitive snap, her eyes oddly bright. "Yatsumi!" Their client's tone had taken on that imperious note she seemed oblivious to but caused attention to turn her way.

Yatsumi hastily set down the teapot, her expression as eagerly attentive as Akamaru before a game of fetch. "Yes, Lady Reiko?"

"I have found the theme for my solstice party." They all waited for her to continue. "Since I will not be taking a trip to the sea this year, I have decided to have the sea brought here!"

Yatsumi's eyes lit with excitement, and she slid a wall panel aside to reveal a hidden cabinet of drawers while he exchanged a confused glance with Ino. After Yatsumi set out a lap desk, paper, ink and quill, Lady Reiko's eyes glowed with an intensity that reminded him of the look Ino's Akimichi teammate would get when the meat-loving shinobi learned of an all-you-can-eat barbeque special. With vigor, their client began to scratch out notes on the paper, finishing with a satisfied smirk and a decisive smack of the blotting pad. She handed the paper to Yatsumi, who scanned it with interest, and then turned to him.

"Shino, you have been to the sea, yes?"

He nodded, and she nodded back.

"Good! You will accompany Yatsumi to the market to buy the first round of materials needed for my plan."

* * *

In the dozens of missions Shino had been assigned over the years, shopping had never been one of the tasks involved. Despite how odd and somewhat ridiculous he found the whole situation, Yatsumi took her responsibility quite seriously. She was also obviously excited about her lady's entertainment scheme as she bustled through Befu's market district with determination. Although he found the party's plans frivolous and wasteful, he grudgingly had to admit to himself the results should be interesting.

Having already ordered special stationary and lantern covers, a variety of wooden and bamboo stakes and poles, and enough sand to fill his guest room to the ceiling, Yatsumi directed them to a fabric shop next. "I could really use your help with this part, Lord Aburame." She turned her hazel gaze up at him with a hint of apology and a slight blush. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Why would I mind?" He had been in seedy bars in the underbelly of the Land of Rivers. What could a reputable shop in Honey have to cause her concern?

"Some men are uncomfortable about entering a predominantly feminine domain."

"Shouldn't a real man prefer to be one of the only men in a venue filled with women?" Although he had seen other men balk at entering flower shops, certain tea shops, and other stores dominated by female clientele, he had never understood the rationale behind it.

Hiding her smile behind a sleeve, Yatsumi's eyes squinted charmingly with mirth. "I had never considered it that way."

"Besides, there is hardly a more feminine domain than the Zeniya estate." Therefore, if he was comfortable there, he would be comfortable in a fabric shop.

Yatsumi laughed outright. "You are most amusing, Lord Aburame, and quite correct."

Although he did not see what he'd said that was so funny, he was still pleased to have caused her to laugh again.

Upon entering the store, a middle-aged woman came to greet them. "Miss Yatsumi, how many I help you?"

"Lady Reiko has finally decided on her next party's theme. Will you promise not to tell anyone about what we buy today?"

"And risk losing such a valuable customer? Never!" The black-haired woman waved the notion away. "But surely Lady Reiko hasn't come with you."

Yatsumi stepped aside to gesture to him. "No, but her guest Lord Aburame has kindly come to assist me in picking out fabrics."

The shopkeeper gave a startled gasp, as though he had materialized out of thin air. "W-welcome, Lord Aburame."

Although he was quite used to such reactions, Yatsumi seemed confused but did not comment on it. "Would you show us your selection of crinolines and light-weight silks?"

"Yes, of course. Right this way."

Soon they were ensconced in a private room with a plethora of blue bolts of fabric surrounding them and tea and treats on a small side table. Yatsumi lifted a particular stretch of silk and held it this way and that, apparently examining how its colors shifted in the light. "Lord Aburame, does this color remind you of the sea?"

"Yes, as does that one, that one, and all of those in that pile." He pointed as he went.

She seemed confused. "How can they all remind you of the sea?"

"Which one reminds you of the sky?"

"That one, that one, and..." At last she seemed to understand. With an abashed smile, she shook her head. "Which one reminds of you of mild seas along a beach on a pleasant summer's day?"

He pulled out one she hadn't been considering. "This one."

"With so much green in it?"

At last it dawned on him she was not "playing dumb." She wasn't asking him to make him feel useful or for conversation's sake but because she honestly didn't know. "You have never been to the sea."

Although her chatty tone didn't change, she turned away and blushed darkly. "It is why Lady Reiko sent you along, Lord Aburame."

For some reason, it bothered him acutely that he had upset her with his casual observation. "I did not intend to make you self-conscious." He normally didn't think of the appropriate words so quickly.

She blinked at him in surprise then smiled and shook her head. "Of course you didn't. Please don't mind my woolgathering." Picking up a bolt of dark-blue crinoline, she placed it underneath the silk he held. "What do you think?"

"I think that would create the desired effect." He lifted another bolt of silk in a slightly lighter shade. "Perhaps two would do even better?" Pulling out his stark white handkerchief, he draped it across the top. "Or three?"

"To represent the varied colors of the sea and the white caps of sea foam!" Clearly pleased, she set her bolt down and called for the shopkeeper to wrap their purchases.

On their way back to the estate, Yatsumi's gaze lingered on the entrance of a shrine.

"Would you like to stop?"

She seemed briefly conflicted. "I could not ask you to wait while you are carrying so much."

"I am a shinobi. My endurance training is sufficient enough to keep my current encumbrance from being a challenge." Although he spoke plainly, her reaction was anything but.

Blushing brightly, she bowed low. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Lord Aburame!" Her voice was pleading.

"Of course you didn't." Having her own words echoed back to her caused her to cautiously straighten. "Do you get out of the estate often?"

She shook her head, her expression uncertain.

"Then it would be optimal to attend to your own needs as well." He glanced at the sky. "There is still sufficient time for a visit to this shrine before we must return for lunch."

Reaching out, as though to touch his arm, she stopped herself then bowed again. "You are a most patient and generous man, Lord Aburame." She straightened and cocked her head. "Do you want to come, too?"

He had noted the shrine was for successful marriage and child birth, neither of which interested him, even if he wasn't a secular man. "I shall be fine here."

After another bow, she began trotting down the path. "I'll only be a few minutes."

He had concluded, since Yatsumi had no chance of marriage or children, there was some other reason for her visit. Perhaps it had been a favorite of her father's?

Once she returned, one of his beetles he'd had accompany her flitted off her sleeve and landed on his. Despite the normal innocuousness of kikai, Yatsumi noticed and reached over to scoop it into her hands. Since his hands were full, her gesture was understandable, but it startled him all the same. Few were at ease enough with Aburames to willingly touch them. His hive vibrated in silent interest.

Whether it was due to his hive's or his own reaction, she responded with an awkward chuckle. "Pardon me, but it looks like _you_ have unplanned company today." She examined it through a gap in her fingers. "I've never seen one of these before. How odd." Her attempt to place the kikai on a bush ended with it making a beeline back to him. Again she captured his determined servant. "It surely seems fond of you, Lord Aburame."

_On the way to tea, they came across a cat that stopped dead in its tracks, hissed vehemently at Shino and ran away. Maemi laughed. "I know you've said cats tend to dislike Aburames, but that was something else. Are you sure it isn't your stiffness that sets them off? It wouldn't kill you to relax a little once in a while."_

After a third attempt, he ordered the beetle to wait an hour before returning to him as Yatsumi's thoughtless touches caused him to blush. She seemed to notice and blushed in return then bowed. "Please forgive my forwardness, Lord Aburame. You are so comfortable to be around that I forgot my station."

"It is nothing."

Although he said it to assure her, he wished to assure himself as well. Never once had Maemi ever claimed to be comfortable with him, nor had she ever interacted with him with such casual intimacy. Even if he had no reason to believe Yatsumi's considerate conduct was reserved for him, that didn't change the fact that the gentle press of her fingers against his arm was enough to make him more aware of her than he'd choose to be.

* * *

DETAILS

Juban = the undergarment worn beneath a kimono


	6. Yatsumi and the Solstice

SPOILERS: Through the end of the manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks Shino deserves a little love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE SOLSTICE

Yatsumi woke every morning with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. It was always great fun helping Lady Reiko prepare for one of her big parties, and getting to spend time with Lord Aburame while doing so made it all the more enjoyable. He was patient and thoughtful and willing to assist in any task, no matter how menial. Whether it was building the frames the fabric would be stretched across or shoveling sand, he did not seem to consider himself above the staff. It made her wonder, again, about the ranking of his clan, not that the other shinobi had turned their noses up at such work.

Of course, Lady Yamanaka was helpful, too. She taught some of the other staff how to fold paper to resemble flowers that grew along the coasts of the Land of Fire, and helped them arrange shells on the barrettes they would wear. She also personally maintained the potted palms they had rented for the big night and even made suggestions about refreshments.

By the afternoon of the party, all was set and had been checked twice. Yatsumi was lighting the tall torches they had purchased to line the walk of the entry garden when Lady Reiko slid open the doors of the entry hall herself. She looked magnificent in a kimono of pale blues that accentuated her glorious white hair. A scale pattern covered the garment up to the intricately tied obi, while watery swirls lifted above it, drawing attention to Lady Reiko's face. Dark-pink coral combs and earrings added contrast and matched the shadow that accented her eyes.

Beside her, Lady Yamanaka also looked lovely. Although she wore the same dark-blue kimono as the staff, her obi depicted the dramatic sweep of ocean waves, instead of the off-the-shelf shell pattern the other members of the household wore with simple bows in back. Like Lady Reiko, her hair was elegantly up-swept and held by coral combs, though hers were black. Yatsumi couldn't help pitying the other ladies who would be attending; they would feel intimidated by the combined beauty of those two!

Just as she lit the last of the torches, a movement caught her eye, and she looked back to see Lord Aburame had joined Lady Reiko and Lady Yamanaka. The black kimono and hakama he wore emphasized his lean form and height. Just the sight of him in the regal formal wear made her cheeks heat in admiration. The lack of head guard revealed a broad forehead that went perfectly with the proud proportions of his aristocratic features. Moreover, he had replaced his usual goggles with simple dark glasses, making him seem less intimidating, more approachable. With his short, stiff hair slicked back with some form of hair product, he looked downright dashing.

_What happened that some girl would let her relationship with him end?_

But there was no time for idle thoughts—there was a party to attend to! With a nod from Lady Reiko, Yatsumi opened the front gate just in time to see the first guests round the bend down the street.

* * *

Once enough guests had arrived, Lady Reiko dismissed Shino and Ino, with instructions to "mingle and maintain vigilance." So after a circuit of the party area, Shino had stationed himself on the outer veranda's southeast corner. This allowed him to keep an eye on both the entrance and the elaborately prepared party area.

His initial impression of Lady Reiko's plans had been accurate—the effect was striking. The gravel path immediately in front of the entertainment area's veranda had been covered with a layer of sackcloth and several inches of sand in order to resemble a beach, complete with shells the guests were encouraged to find and keep as mementos. Palms and decorative arrangements of hothouse and paper tropical flowers flanked the party area, and beneath the veranda an audio system played the sound of waves and seagulls. Scattered about the garden were the frameworks with dark-blue crinoline almost invisibly supporting the alternating swaths of sea-colored silk and narrow bands of white. Quiet fans blew from concealed corners of the garden to both simulate sea breezes and to make the silken waves seem to flow.

Inside, the short end of the entertainment hall supported a massive stuffed swordfish with an extensive buffet of delicacies from the sea beneath it. Strings of party lights were woven like nets in the corners, with paper fish and larger shells filling them. The doors of the entertainment room had been re-papered with a wave pattern, and even the plates and cushions and paper gift fans the guests used had oceanic themes. Other than the lack of salt in the air, it was almost like being there.

As distracting as the party was, Shino's attention kept drifting back to the entrance. He theorized it was due to the fact he and Ino had yet to gather any evidence about the culprits causing Lady Reiko's troubles and that tonight would be a perfect opportunity for trouble to slip in. Even so, Shino found himself once again impressed with Yatsumi's ability to bring pleasure to people by simply talking to them, as evidenced by the smiles the guests all wore after being greeted. How was it she always seemed to know just what to say?

"She sure is a chatty one." Ino sipped a pineapple-scented drink from a glass decorated with depictions of dolphins.

Shino nodded. "She is a skilled conversationalist."

Although he had merely spoken the truth, Ino seemed to perceive it from a skewed angle. "A compliment! For a civilian, no less." She gave him a sly look. "So does that mean the interest is mutual?"

Unclear as to what she meant, he chose to not respond. After all, Yatsumi's consideration was not uniquely focused on him.

After a brief scowl at his lack of reaction, she shrugged. "It's not like she chats me up half as much as she does you, and her eyes practically sparkle when you pay her any attention." Then she poked him in the arm with a finger, something that was noteworthy because it was a familiar gesture she had never used with him before. "And you—you seem a lot less stiff after one of your garden walks with her. What do you two talk about, anyway?"

He saw no harm in sharing that detail, though he found Ino's interpretation of events curious. "Mainly plants and insects."

With a wrinkling of her nose, Ino gave a derisive snort. "Sounds like a match made in heaven!"

"Miss Yamanaka? You simply _must_ see the coral I found for you!"

Apparently her snort had given her away, and a vapid young man who had been clinging to her every word and move approached from the beach area.

After a subdued growl, she took a fortifying gulp of her beverage. "Oh, how I want Lord Chita to be our culprit so I can stick a kunai up his ass." Plastering a fake but dazzling smile on her face, she left him to return to the social barnacle.

Fortunately, even though a few of the ladies had made politely complimentary comments to and about him, he had been able to fade out of the crowd as easily as ever. Returning his attention to the gate, he saw Yatsumi pull a paper from her sleeve and, after glancing over it, stow it with a nod. Then she closed and locked the gate in accordance with Ino's instructions.

Although he should have been little more than an indistinct shadow among shadows as he leaned against the wall out of the light of the party area, she quickly spotted him as she made her way down the path, offering him a wave and a smile. It made him wonder about Ino's comment, so he decided to start keeping track of her smiles. Within him, his hive shifted in contentment before settling back to their normal positions. Then he, too, returned to the party.

* * *

The evening had been going flawlessly until the cord that ran behind the palms and powered one bank of fans had apparently been tripped over by an over-inebriated guest. Since the only other unoccupied staff was Furuko, whose age had made her night vision atrocious, Yatsumi took it upon herself to follow the daisy-chained cord from the house to the fans until she'd found the loose connection. Given the late hour, the waxing moon was high enough to provide sufficient light, but she was still startled by the sudden appearance of a dark form next to her.

The glint of glasses against fair skin combined with his stature gave him away. "Lord Aburame, you surprised me!" She hoped there wasn't enough light to show her blush, which she knew was not solely due to his unexpected, silent arrival by her side.

But he did not seem to be considering the secluded intimacy of the moment. He was focused on the south wall at the end of the palms. "There is someone outside." Even though the subtleties of his tone of voice were difficult to distinguish, she knew instantly he was on alert for danger.

Her nerves abruptly grew taut as she detected a muffled buzzing sound, and the shadows around them seemed to seethe like an angry sea of black, with Lord Aburame at its center. She was only able to try and fathom what she was seeing for a moment before a pale, vaguely spherical blob flew over the wall and landed with a papery thud she would recognize until the day she died. Someone had tossed a wasp's nest into the garden! On instinct, she pushed Lord Aburame into the bushes and covered his face and torso with her sleeves the best she could. As her vision dimmed, a black speck seemed to crawl across his face. Although she couldn't be sure, it looked like that odd little bug from a week ago. She _was_ sure he frowned at her, which made her worry she had offended him.

The last thing she remembered was the feeling of his arms around her and a softly chastising, "_I_ am supposed to protect _you_."

* * *

DETAILS

Hakama = a traditional, pleated Japanese garment worn over a kimono from the waist down and usually divided like trousers


	7. Yatsumi and the Morning Off

SPOILERS: Through the end of the manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks Shino deserves a little love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE MORNING OFF

Yatsumi woke in her juban.

_Twice in as many weeks?_

As soon as the thought moved through her head, she sat bolt upright in her futon. "Lord Aburame! The party!"

While scrambling from under her cover, she spotted a note on her dresser in Chisono's tidy script.

All is well.  
Lady Reiko has insisted you have the morning off.  
Relax and take your time.

After a moment, she realized Chisono was right—Yatsumi didn't have a single sting. How was it possible?

The morning was young enough that Lady Reiko's guests were still sleeping, so Yatsumi had the rotenburo to herself. It was unfortunate, for not only was it more enjoyable to chat with other staff but she also wanted to ask someone about what had happened. How could a wasp's nest be tossed into the garden and all be well?

Before she was finished, Yatsumi was joined by young Lady Taninaga, who kindly asked about her twisted ankle. Realizing it was Lady Reiko's excuse for Yatsumi not attending to the guests that morning, she lingered, chatting up Lady Taninaga until all thoughts of injured servants were forgotten in pleasant reminiscences of the party.

By the time Yatsumi made it to the staff room, Ushie and Suzu were too busy preparing breakfast for the guests to chat, though they'd set out an amazing spread of leftovers from the party for the servants' breakfast. Wakume and Momiji were there, but they hadn't heard about the new incident.

"So that's why Lady Reiko told us to stay out of the southeast corner," concluded Wakume with a nod of her gray head.

Momiji gave a confused frown. "But how could that be, that no one else knew? Are you sure it was a wasp's nest?"

Wakume gave a chastising click of her tongue, and Momiji covered her mouth with her three-fingered hand. "I'm so sorry, Yatsumi."

Yatsumi smiled to reassure the newest member of the staff. "Nothing to be sorry about. I'm as confused as you are about what happened. All I remember is trying to cover Lord Aburame with my sleeves... I hope he's all right."

Finishing her clam-filled miso soup, Wakume dumped the shells in the trash and helped herself to a second bowl. "He's fine. I saw him prowling the rooftops this morning without so much as hint of hurt."

"Rooftops?" Yatsumi chorused with Momiji.

A rare smile creased the senior's face. "He's a ninja. Walking on rooftops is no more to him than you rising from bed in the morning. No doubt he's the reason no one else knew what happened last night."

Momiji was unconvinced. "But how could even a ninja manage to stop every wasp? In the dark, with shaded glasses, no less!"

Wakume huffed, though whether out of disapproval about being questioned, having their ninja guests doubted, or them not following her thinking, Yatsumi couldn't tell. "Don't know, and I'm not so rude nor foolish as to ask. But ninja have many strange skills, and it's the only possibility that makes sense. Him or Lady Yamanaka."

Feeling the need to soothe the head gardener, Yatsumi nodded. "Of course, that would explain it. You're quite right. We just can't help but be curious about what ability would allow such a feat to be achieved."

Soon she had the other two discussing how the garden had fared the party, bringing them back to the same collaborative mindset they had been working on since Lady Reiko had brought Momiji into the fold after a scandal that had embarrassed all of Honey. The militia had discovered loan-sharks from the Land of Grass had been providing a certain noble family with laborers in the form of impoverished debtors. Momiji's gambling father had set her up as collateral, and once Lady Reiko learned of it, she persuaded the militia to let her keep the girl for herself, as a properly paid servant. Having a wastrel parent often reflected poorly on the children, so Momiji was still anxious about maintaining her employment. Naturally, Yatsumi wanted to help Momiji with her unnecessary anxiety, both for her sake and that of the household.

Once breakfast was over, Yatsumi was at a loss as to what to do. Since she was supposed to be recovering from a twisted ankle, taking a walk in the pleasure garden or to town seemed inappropriate, and she'd already soaked herself into a prune once in the rotenburo. Her current batch of library books had been read, and the other staff would be too busy to lend her one of theirs. There was no one to play a game of go or shogi with, and although she could do mending, her sewing skills were mediocre, especially compared to Nagisa's and Furuko's. Plus, it was too soon to begin dismantling the party decorations. With nothing better to do, she ended up weeding the vegetable garden to keep busy and out of the sight of the guests.

* * *

Shino found her in the northern garden, talking to herself...or a tomato plant. He wasn't sure which.

"...you're looking quite invigorated. Should I take it you enjoyed your trip to the healing springs of Mihara? What was it like?"

He cleared his throat, and she started. Blushing, she turned to look down the garden row and smile at him. Maybe Ino was right. Yatsumi's eyes did seem to have more sparkle to them than normal.

"Lord Aburame! Good morning! You're looking well. I hope you're all right after last night. Thank you so much for..." He had never seen her at a loss for words, and he wondered what had prompted her to reconsider what she was about to say. "...all your efforts. I hope you were not injured by my impulsive reaction."

Contemplating her "impulsive reaction" had kept him from his usual easy sleep. Few outside of his teammates or clansmen had ever risked their lives for him, yet this young woman had done just that without a second thought. Indeed, it had been her very first thought. Although she was socially gracious to all she interacted with, he couldn't help wondering if she would have protected just anyone from her greatest fear. Having observed her blush over his appearance the previous night, he decided to test his theory.

"I am fine, thank you." He held out his hand to help her stand.

Her blush darkened and pupils dilated as she reached for him, but she stopped halfway when she seemed to remember the dirty gardening gloves she wore. With an awkward smile, she hastily removed them, only to examine her hands. "How do they get so dirty, even when wearing gloves?"

Although she stood on her own, the results of his test had provided enough evidence to conclude Yatsumi seemed to hold him in special regard. He considered the possibility her admiration was merely because he had aided her in crisis twice—more than one girl had grown enamored of Kiba after being rescued by him and his dog—but Yatsumi had blushed at him before their first wasp encounter. Since he'd been keeping track of her smiles during the party, he had also noted that she had not blushed at other men. As pleased as his thoughts seemed to make his hive, that he had a hive was reason enough to not consider the issue too seriously. She did not know what he was, and it seemed inevitable knowing would end any interest she might have. As his clan's history would attest, few civilians could accept the truth behind the Aburames' power.

"The guests have gone." He followed her to a pair of compost heaps near the tool shed against the north wall. "Lady Reiko sent me to bring you so we might discuss last night with Ino."

"Thank you. I'll just be a moment cleaning up." She dumped the weeds into the newer of the heaps. After rinsing the bucket and trowel, she tossed the excess water in the bucket onto the heap and stowed her gear. Then she rinsed her own hands and turned to follow him.

_On the other side of the restaurant, Shino couldn't help but notice that Konohamaru kept looking anxiously between the door and the clock above the reception area. "He seems to have been stood up."_

_It had been a casual observation, but Maemi gave him a sidelong glance, her blue eyes chastising. "You think you're so great at figuring out what's going on in other people's heads, Shino. The only way to know for sure is to ask, but you're too worried about giving away your own interest to do it."_

_That the young shinobi was met by his mentor, Naruto, caused Maemi to shake her head with smug smile that caused Shino to feel more chagrined than irritated._

"Who were you talking to?"

Yatsumi blinked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"When I arrived just now." Having a girl possibly be intrigued by him was odd, but having her also be crazy was somewhat disquieting.

"Oh!" Laughing, she waved her hand in front of her face. "I was practicing talking with Lady Oku."

Clearly Lady Reiko's fellow widow was not in the garden, but he couldn't bring himself to say so outright. "Practicing?" He gestured toward the entry garden. The spacing between vegetable rows was too narrow to walk together, so they moved on opposite sides of a row of long onions.

With a nod, she followed his lead, her clogs murmuring along the mulch path before transitioning to the crunch of gravel. "Surely you need to practice to maintain your skills, Lord Aburame?"

For the most part, that was not the case, though he did need practice to improve them.

In response to his nod, she continued. "One of the ways I'll retain all the bits of social information I pick up during a party is to practice ways of mentioning them for the next time I see that person. By asking a specific question about their lives, it not only encourages conversation but also makes them feel appreciated, since it shows I've been thinking about them since the last time we talked."

It was a laborious yet simple and effective method to achieve her objectives. She had made it look so easy that it hadn't occurred to him it might take effort. His admiration for her grew.

* * *

Yatsumi felt rather frumpy in her plain staff kimono, dusty from the garden, while walking beside Lord Aburame in his pin-neat, post-party kimono. The simple bamboo pattern in the mossy-green fabric accentuated his height and drew attention to his refined yet masculine face. Outside the entry hall, Lady Reiko and Lady Yamanaka were also dressed in appropriately elegant garb, though not as elaborate as what they'd donned the night before.

Lady Yamanaka raised a pale eyebrow at Yatsumi's appearance then flicked a glance at Lord Aburame, who did not respond. "I'd like to review what happened last night. Shino has given me his report, but you might have noticed something he didn't."

While that seemed unlikely, Yatsumi repeated all she'd done leading up to the incident. The cracked husk of the nest had been left where it had landed on the path, shifting slightly in the breeze. Even without a hint of a wasp about, it turned her blood cold and made her mouth dry.

Then Lady Reiko was there, offering her a citrus-scented handkerchief with a comforting hand on her back. "You don't have to look at it."

"But if I don't look at it, how will I see when more come out?" Even in her own ears, her voice was high and pinched and frantic. Resisting the urge to bolt, she could feel her pulse rising and gratefully used Lady Reiko's handkerchief to blot her suddenly damp forehead.

"They are dead." Lord Aburame's deep, smooth, certain voice was like a refreshing breeze on a hot day.

She focused on his calm face and dark glasses. "All of them?"

"I promise."

He hadn't needed to say those words; he could have simply said, "Yes." It would have been more in keeping with what she knew of him, so she suspected it had been intentional on his part. That meant he was consciously offering her assurance. The only other time she had felt so grateful was when Lady Reiko had taken her in. Right beside the intense swell of gratitude was the burning desire to ask him how he knew, how it had been accomplished, but better sense kept her from it. She had no right to pry.

Instead, she offered him a low bow. "You have my sincerest gratitude, Lord Aburame."

"Unfortunately, your little distraction kept him from following whoever did it," quipped Lady Yamanaka.

Straightening, Yatsumi saw Lord Aburame frown at his mission-mate.

"I am so very sorry! If I'd known there was no danger..."

Lady Reiko patted her back. "Would anything anyone might have said have convinced you otherwise?"

After a moment's consideration, Yatsumi shook her head. "No, I suppose not."

"Here's what I don't get." Squatting down, Lady Yamanaka examined the damaged lilac bush that Yatsumi had knocked Lord Aburame into. "Why didn't you just faint, like last time?"

Lord Aburame stiffened at the question, though Yatsumi couldn't fathom why.

"I don't know." Once the question had been asked, Yatsumi wanted to know, too. "I have only ever seen individual wasps since..." It was still difficult to say the words. Lady Reiko rubbed her back. After swallowing with difficulty, she thought of another possible reason. "And until last week, I've never been close enough to someone else to worry for their safety." The impulse to protect Lord Aburame had somehow overwhelmed all else. "Also, I didn't actually _see_ them."

A hum of affirmation came from Lord Aburame. "Our reaction to sound is quicker than our reaction to other senses."

Yatsumi wondered how he knew that. Was it standard ninja knowledge?

With a shrug, Lady Yamanaka straightened. "It just seems odd that you were the one here when it happened, the one person who is terrified of wasps."

Yatsumi gasped at the prospect. _Could everyone else have been put at risk because of me?_

"But surely it was chance." Lady Reiko's hand stilled on her back. "Any of the other staff could have been here when it happened, or no one, and none of the other incidents involved anything that might target one person over another."

She was right; a wasp nest would simply have ruined the party, just as the tree in the bath had disrupted their lives for a week, postponing an earlier party.

"Lady Reiko is correct." Lord Aburame's frown had diminished. "There is no reason to consider this incident as unique, with the exception that this time we learned the person or one of the persons involved is female."

With great effort, Yatsumi managed not to ask how he knew that; it was not her place to question him.

Lady Reiko, however, had no such restraints. "How could you tell the culprit was female, Shino?"

With a remarkable lack of reaction, he simply said, "The Aburame clan has a variety of sensory skills."

"Yeah, it's a huge help." Despite her words, Lady Yamanaka made a dismissive gesture. "It only narrows down our suspects from everybody to half of everybody."

Put that way, it didn't seem so helpful after all.

* * *

DETAILS

Juban = undergarment worn under a kimono

Rotemburo = outdoor bath, usually hot spring fed


	8. Yatsumi and the Perfume Contest

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Time to establish the setting and scenario! This is set about five years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE PERFUME CONTEST

Just as Lord Aburame had assisted in preparing for the party, so too was he helpful in returning the garden and house to its normal state. As he helped Yatsumi remove the "waves" of fabric from their frames, the corners of his mouth twitched downward.

"Is anything the matter, Lord Aburame?"

He hesitated before speaking. "Lady Reiko is entitled to utilize her resources as she sees fit, but it seems a waste to use so much for a day then discard it."

His frugality made her smile. She had learned from their other shinobi guests how important resource management was to success and survival, how one extra weapon could mean the difference between life and death. It pleased her that such practicality was a part of his nature, even outside the scope of martial concerns.

"But it will not be discarded, Lord Aburame. Lady Reiko is the chair of a group that sponsors the Befu orphanage for girls." She gestured to the basket at her feet where the gathered material was being placed. "All of this will go there for the girls to make kimono for themselves. They will use whatever remains to make bags and such that they sell to raise money. Did you not notice?" Slipping a length of silk off the frame, she draped it over her outstretched arm. The ends of the fabric drifted a hand's span from the ground. "The width of the frames was intentionally chosen for this purpose."

With a nod, his frown eased as he set himself back to prying the staples from the frame to free the fabric. "Lady Reiko is an admirable woman."

"Another compliment for a civilian," quipped Lady Yamanaka, passing them with a basket of her own. "You're going to make me think the high altitude is affecting your brain."

Although Yatsumi's curiosity was itching to know more, she refrained from inquiring, especially since the comment had clearly been a jibe. Not only was it not her place to ask, it would also have been unkind to do so.

Once the frames were cleared and dismantled, Lord Aburame assisted with removing the sand while Yatsumi helped pack the dolphin glasses and other items that would also go to the orphanage. By dinner, the estate was back to itself. The place always felt a bit bare after a party, but over dinner, Lady Reiko started making plans for her next event. Perfume contests were never as elaborate, but the smaller crowd tended to inspire more in-depth conversations. Sometimes the seeds for meaningful changes to the town were planted and nurtured at such gatherings, and it was always impressive to watch Lady Reiko influence others to her point of view.

Lady Reiko determined that they would send invitations the next day for a gathering the following week. It would mean less chance of interacting with Lord Aburame, but he gave her something to look forward to by expressing his own interest in participating.

* * *

"Musk, sandalwood, and...frankincense?"

Yatsumi checked her list and smiled brightly. "Very good, Lady Fujito. And can you guess which of us made the combination?"

"It's so very masculine, but Lord Matsumori's perfumes have already been tried." Dark green eyes shifted to Shino as Lady Fujito passed the elaborate stone container to the guest beside her so the others might sample it. "I'll guess Lord Aburame."

It was both strange and pleasant to be noticed as much as he was when he wore a kimono among Lady Reiko's guests, and this intimate group of ten, gathered in a circle, made it even less likely for him to go unnoticed. But that had been his intent, to work on developing social skills in a reasonably controlled setting.

"It is not mine."

Lady Reiko snapped her fan open, drawing everyone's attention. "Your guess was a sensible one, but it is one of mine." To make the contest nearly as difficult for the last person as the first, Lady Reiko had contributed five perfumes for the rounds involving three ingredients, compared to everyone else's two. "I had been reminiscing over an album of a trip to Sand's Great Canyon that I took with my dear late husband, and this combination came to mind."

"It makes me think of a tall, dark, and handsome man," commented Lady Taninaga after a sniff. The youngest of Lady Reiko's guests abruptly blushed and covered her mouth with a dainty hand. "I beg your pardon, Lady Reiko."

With a magnanimous smile, Shino's client brushed the concern away with a sweep of her fan. "There is no need, for I am pleased you think so. He was tall and dark, and I certainly thought of him as handsome. It is more than a pity we do not have the resources to save people from such a wasting disease, much as they do in larger nations."

With a wave of her uchiwa fan, Ino picked up her cue without it seeming obvious. "We have found that processing milk with heat cuts off that line of transmission, and there are medicines that can combat the disease when diagnosed early enough. Lady Tsunade is working with our daimyo to train local doctors and establish medical centers and protocols with the intent of eliminating it in the Land of Fire."

The other guests murmured in surprise at the prospect.

Discussing this topic had been the hidden purpose of the perfume contest. Half of the guests had lost loved ones to the lung ailment. Naturally, Shino wanted to contribute. "My understanding is that a simple annual examination, which takes but a few moments, is a key component to Lady Tsunade's plan, but it takes a trained medic to conduct the test."

Ino nodded again. "Lady Tsunade is still working on the logistics of examining everyone in the country every year, but there are many options for managing that." She ticked them off on her fingers. "Markets, festivals, schools—the same methods already used for vaccinations. The real trick is having enough people to do the job. For now, she's using medic-nin, but she hopes to have enough locals trained in a year or so."

"So ambitious," murmured Lady Oku with an appreciative lilt. As Lady Reiko's closest friend and charity cohort, she was also in on the hidden agenda of the party. "Does Fire consider this scheme a proprietary one?"

Leaning back, Ino placed a hand over her heart, as though the thought pained her. "Lady Tsunade does not believe benign medical techniques should be proprietary."

Shino found being conversational was much easier when it was planned. "Given our close ties to Wind, we already have a dedicated task force helping them establish their own program, and similar plans are in the works for several other countries." Since the war, the five great nations had been working collaboratively on any number of projects, though he felt Fire's sharing of its medical know-how was the best among them.

Lord Matsumori's expression grew thoughtful. "If only Honey could do the same."

"Why can't we?" Lady Reiko spoke as though it was an epiphany, as though Lord Matsumori had just made the most brilliant and inspired of suggestions.

The middle-aged lord's eyes widened. "Indeed, why not?"

"I'd be more than happy to contribute to such an endeavor," offered Lady Oku.

"As would I," agreed Lady Reiko. No one would guess it had been her plan from the start.

As the others began to discuss the possibility, Yatsumi gasped as though she had suddenly remembered something vital. "Lady Yamanaka, aren't you trained as a medic of Konoha?"

"Why, yes, I am." It felt unnatural to see Ino acting demurely.

"You are more than that." It was the last piece of information they'd tasked him with sharing. "Sakura Haruno is your best friend." There were several names that had become commonly known after the war, and Sakura's was one of them.

"Isn't she Lady Tsunade's disciple?" asked Lady Taninaga with a hint of awe.

By the time the discussion had settled down, it had been decided they would all help Lord Matsumori create a fund and committee to establish the manpower and facilities that would serve as Honey's center to combat the dire respiratory ailment.

Since he had never attended a perfume contest before, the others had agreed Shino should go last to give him the best chance at passing the first round. "Lemon grass, yuzu, and rosemary. It is bold and straightforward with modest complexity. This would be Ino's."

Before Yatsumi could tell him he was right, Ino raised an eyebrow at him. The subtle gesture might have seemed like surprise to anyone else, but he knew she was irked at his quick deduction. "How did you know?"

"The scent suits your personality, and as someone whose family deals with flowers, avoiding them as your components would be an obvious attempt at subterfuge."

Beside him, Yatsumi chirped. "My! Perhaps we shouldn't have given Lord Aburame the last position, after all!"

Except for Ino, that seemed to soothe everyone's sudden tension. Why was she irritated at him? Surely she had never considered boldness detrimental.

As Ino's perfume was passed around, the others dubbed it "refreshing" and "lively" and other glowing attributes, which seemed to settle her inexplicably ruffled feathers.

"For the second round, let us start at the end," suggested Lady Reiko.

Picking up a container made of blown glass, Shino sniffed. "Cucumber, melon, and vanilla. This simple, unpretentious combination must be Lady Taninaga's."

The lady in question blushed while Ino glared at him in chastisement and the room grew unnaturally quiet. Reflecting on what he had said, he couldn't fathom their reaction.

"You are correct, Lord Aburame." Yatsumi's tone didn't so much as hint that anything might be amiss. "Such a pure, soothing scent is like a cool breeze on a summer's day, wouldn't you say?"

If he had any gift for words, he might have, but she had made his response clear. "Of course. That is exactly what I meant."

While Lady Taninaga seemed mollified, he could just catch a disappointed huff from Lady Reiko seated next to Yatsumi. Oddly, Lady Oku gave him an assessing gaze and smirked. It disturbed him that he couldn't discern why. Fortunately, Ino had turned her attention elsewhere, discussing medical policies with Lord Matsumori while they waited for the perfume to reach them.

When it was Ino's turn, her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Carnation, rose, and tangerine."

"Excellent, Lady Yamanaka." Yatsumi's enthusiastic praise made even the self-possessed Ino smile. "And can you guess who made it?"

Of the remaining perfumes, there was one of Lady Oku's and Lady Taninaga's, and two of his, Yatsumi's, and Lady Reiko's.

"Lady Reiko."

It sounded like a sophisticated combination, so Lady Reiko was the best guess.

"And why do you think that, my dear?" Their client's smile neither confirmed nor denied Ino's answer.

"It is a refined blend." Ino sniffed again. "Carnation is a subtle scent. Having the rose be secondary enhances its sensuality without overpowering it, a difficult mix I would expect from someone skilled with perfumes. The tangerine gives it a spark that makes them both come alive, like the summer sun on a field of lush flowers."

Sensing a shift beside him, he glanced at Yatsumi and found her blushing. "That combination is mine, Lady Yamanaka." In response to Ino's disbelieving expression, Yatsumi added, "I have had the benefit of attending many of Lady Reiko's perfume parties, and I'm sure that's why it seems like it should be hers."

When it was his turn to sniff Yatsumi's perfume, he had to agree with Ino's assessment—he could practically taste the pollen in the air and hear the buzz of bees. His hive enjoyed the scent, and as much as he appreciated the lady-in-waiting's skill, that it made him more aware of her as a woman was not particularly welcome.

"_For such an observant guy, sometimes you can be thick as a brick." Maemi sighed in resignation, though he thought there was some amusement in her eyes. "When someone says 'something has come up,' unless they tell you why, they're politely blowing you off. It's definitely _not_ an invitation to ask them what has come up, since it's probably something they don't want to share. In my case, since you insist on knowing, I'm not in the mood to hang out because I'm menstrual, which makes me feel bad, okay?"_

_Growing up without any female relatives his age, and having a kunoichi teammate who was intensely private about such things, it was an aspect of a woman's existence that was largely a mystery to him. Although he knew the basics, he was both curious about and disconcerted by this added dimension of his awareness of his girlfriend. In a way, it made him feel closer to her, knowing such an intimate secret of her life. _

After the second round, there were only three contestants left—himself, Lord Matsumori, and Lady Oka. During the break for lunch, Ino approached him and managed to scowl with her tone while appearing pleasant on the surface. "You're not cheating, are you?"

As though he would need to. "No."

"Good." She sipped her tea and smiled with a nod, as if he'd said something amusing. "You managed to insult the whole room with two words. So keep your opinions to yourself this time, and don't forget—we want Lord Matsumori to win."

Shino felt both aggravated and confused by her condemnation, but he nodded in acknowledgment of her instructions.

The final round involved combinations of five ingredients. Although he easily identified the components, he made no comments about attributes and intentionally guessed the wrong guest. In a fourth round, Lady Oku lost, and everyone praised Lord Matsumori on his skill. Other than his own apparent social blunders, the party went according to plan, and everyone left after dinner happy and eager to contribute to the betterment of Honey.

* * *

They were walking in the garden, discussing the previous day's events, when Shino surprised her.

"You are skilled at using flattery to manipulate others."

Yatsumi was momentarily struck speechless, as the bubbly feeling of being complimented fought with the vexation of having been insulted. Then a thought occurred to her, and she couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped her chest as she admired and considered the source of her befuddlement.

"Lord Aburame, did you intend that as a compliment?"

He stiffened slightly, though whether the response was due to his being offended by her giggle, uncertain of her comment, or intuitively aware he had done something wrong, she couldn't be certain. "Yes."

"Thank you for your kind words." She bowed to him slightly, and he nodded in response. "But do you not see how it might have been misconstrued as an insult?"

This time he stiffened outright, and she could just detect a hint of color in his pale cheeks as his brow furrowed. "It was an honest observation." The hint of defensiveness in his tone was to be expected.

Nodding, she smiled to show she wasn't upset. "Sadly, this is true, but honesty is not always the best method for making and maintaining acquaintances." She hadn't engaged his attention this fully since before the previous party, and she was determined to keep it. Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she let him think she was considering the situation while she hastily nurtured a budding plan. "You are a clansman, are you not, Lord Aburame?"

"Yes."

"And as you grow old enough to participate in the running of your clan, will you not find yourself in…situations in which it would be advantageous to say the right thing at the right time?"

"Indeed."

She held up her hand, as though she had just had a brilliant idea. "I know just the thing!" Leaning closer, as though about to confide a secret, she lowered her voice. That prompted him to lean closer, too, much to her delight. "If, indeed, you sincerely consider my ability to flatter an admirable trait, perhaps, if it is not too bold of me to suggest, I could offer you advice on how to construct more…complimentary compliments. Would you find such an arrangement agreeable?"

"I would."

Straightening, she turned to continue down the garden path, and he followed her as though she pulled him along by a string. It was a heady feeling, having a handsome young clansman walking after her, intrigued by what she had to say. She managed to suppress another giggle, but delight still filled her stomach with happy butterflies. "Your observational skills are exceptionally keen, Lord Aburame, and that is very advantageous. All that is required is to expand the breadth of your empathy so that you may better perceive what others would consider complimentary."

Settling down on a bench, she left plenty of room for him to sit beside her, but apparently she was pushing her luck…not that she minded looking up at him. It made it easier to admire how tall he was. "Giving someone a compliment usually puts them at ease. The trick is to determine what they would like to hear. Let's begin with someone you don't yet know well…Lord Matsumori, for example…"

* * *

DETAILS

The perfume contest here is inspired by the Heian-era noble distraction, known as takimono-awase, in which original combinations of incense were compared in different settings. This entertainment is mentioned in the world's first novel, "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu.


	9. Yatsumi and the Surprising Revelation

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war.

When I heard Shino and Kiba appear briefly twice and have no dialog in the Hinata-centric "Last" movie, I was rather sad. They're trying to find someone but leave the rest of the best tracking team behind? I guess teamwork only matters to in the series if you're a popular character. Sigh! I'm glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

Thank you for reading.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE SURPRISING REVELATION

Every summer, Lady Reiko visited her properties where honey and various crops were produced. Ino had decided to remain at the estate while Shino accompanied their client on her tour. He couldn't help being grateful about not being left alone with so many women, even though that had been the situation since he had arrived. Somehow, without his client or mission-mate, it would be different, more socially awkward. Of course, with Yatsumi going with Lady Reiko, everything would have seemed more socially awkward, since Yatsumi spread composure wherever she went. Even as the lady-in-waiting shared the secrets of her skills with him, knowing them and implementing them were not the same.

Shino was watching Yatsumi help load the carriage while he conducted a final perimeter check.

"It's not unusual, you know." Ino joined him on the top of the wall.

How did her teammates work so well with her when Shino found her cryptic tendencies to be occasionally baffling?

When he didn't respond, she lifted her chin toward the wagon. "To have a rebound relationship after a bad breakup." Although Ino's words were sometimes hard to decipher, her tone was usually clear. Yet her voice was so bland that he was unsure of her mood. "So long as she knows you're not serious, you should go for it. A summer fling could be just the thing to get Maemi out of your system." After a snort and a brief frown, she smiled at him, but it seemed a bit off. "The setting couldn't be more perfect—a three month assignment, a charming and interested girl, the warmth of spring turning into summer, dazzling parties, private moments..."

Was she suggesting he have a dalliance with Yatsumi? To sully a client's dear servant as an emotional balm? The idea was repugnant, reprehensible and beneath an heir.

Ino frowned, perhaps in response to his own. "Don't you have any romance in your soul? Why did my cousin date you in the first place?"

Her words were like being doused in ice water, causing him to shiver and his chest to ache with the thought of his failed relationship and its lingering emotional wounds. "That is none of your concern."

Waving away his frigid tone, she turned her own attention to Yatsumi, who noticed them on the top of the wall and waved with a sparkling smile. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Shino. Just be sure Yatsumi knows your intentions. The way she lights up around you, she could fall hard."

_Maemi snorted in that way that reminded him of Ino. "I know it's in your nature, but it wouldn't kill you to not over think everything." They had been invited to a birthday party for a cousin of Maemi's, and Shino had been discussing appropriate gifts and attire and what it would mean to others for him to accompany her. "It's just a birthday party, an excuse to relax and have some fun. So try not to take it so seriously. Just relax and have some fun."_

If Ino was right, it was all the more reason to be on guard against any interest Yatsumi might have in him. Given how much his breakup had hurt him, it was impossible to be anything less than serious about the possibility. He wouldn't want to unintentionally do to another what had been done to him.

* * *

In her infinite wisdom and magnanimity, Lady Reiko had decided Momiji would accompany them on their tour of her farms. "Being around youngsters during summer makes me feel younger!" she had proclaimed, though Yatsumi strongly suspected the choice was a way of reassuring Momiji of her position. No one would waste such an opportunity on someone they were planning on firing.

As enjoyable as it was to have hours filed with nothing more taxing than playing cards and chatting with another girl, what made the trip most delightful for Yatsumi was that Lord Aburame was the one to accompany them.

In farmlands, he would jog beside the carriage, tall and focused, his dark goggles reflecting the bright sun as he constantly scanned the area for threats. In woods, she got to watch him leap from tree to tree with effortless grace, his coat whipping out behind him like wings. He was as lovely to watch in motion as he was when still. If anything, he seemed more vital, like a bird in flight, all power and control, strength and speed. Magnificent!

"You really think he's all that?" wondered Momiji as they transitioned from pasture to woods, making the interior of the carriage too dark to play cards.

Yatsumi didn't have to guess what the younger girl meant. "What I think is neither here nor there, since he is a guest and my position is so far below his."

"But weren't you born a noble?"

With a frown, Lady Reiko shook her head. "Momiji, consider how you might feel being asked about your own past."

The young gardener blushed darkly and lowered her gaze. "I'm so sorry, Yatsumi."

Taking the other girl's hands, Yatsumi gave them a reassuring squeeze. "It's alright. I don't mind." When Momiji lifted her gaze, Yatsumi smiled. "I love working with you and the others and for Lady Reiko. The only part about my past that still hurts is that my father is gone and I can seldom see my mother, who struggles so."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"In that case, Momiji is right." Both girls looked at Lady Reiko in surprise. "You underestimate yourself, Yatsumi. You are a young woman and he is a young man. All other differences are incidental. After all, didn't your father love your mother, though she was not nobly born?"

The idea that there was a possibility Lord Aburame might someday be able to love her as her father loved her mother caused Yatsumi's cheeks to burn. Momiji giggled in glee. It was the first time Yatsumi had heard the girl laugh so—unrestrained and unselfconsciously. The happy sound blunted her embarrassment and encouraged the corners of Lady Reiko's lips to curve upward.

"It would be one-sided, anyway." Every attempt Yatsumi had made to create a setting or moment that might inspire romance had failed. He seemed to have an iron will set against softer feelings.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Lady Reiko raised an eyebrow as they both stared in surprise at the younger girl. "What do you mean?" insisted their employer.

Momiji squirmed a bit under their attention. "I know it's kind of hard to tell, with those goggles on, but I've seen him watch Yatsumi." Holding up her hands, she shrugged. "I know he watches all of us, but it's like he's extra aware of her. Even Wakume mentioned it once."

Learning of it made Yatsumi's heart skip a beat in excited hopefulness. She couldn't decide if it was good or bad to know such a thing, for it gave her too much hope. Turning her attention away from the others, she watched him and recalled being told it was a common ability among ninja, to be able to soar through the trees so, especially shinobi of Konoha.

_How does any regular girl attract the attention of someone who can move so freely and surely without a second thought? How could someone so capable ever be satisfied with a regular girl?_

The touch of Momiji's pinkie-less hand on hers brought Yatsumi's attention back to the interior of the carriage. "I didn't mean to make you upset." The other girl seemed honestly concerned. "I thought you'd want to know, that it might make you happy."

With a mental shake, Yatsumi cast off her glum thoughts. It was summer, and she was having a lovely trip with people she cared about. There was no reason to feel down!

"I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I'm not upset." She gave Momiji's hand another squeeze. "What about you? Did you notice young master Deon's interest?" Lady Reiko had made a point of introducing the young gardener to the heir of the bulb flower and clover farm they'd just left. It had made Yatsumi wonder if she was not the only member of the staff Lady Reiko had plans of marrying off.

Momiji made a sour face. "He compared me to his sister!"

"He is very devoted to his family." The tone of their employer held some encouragement along with a hint of lecturing. "It's a fine trait in a man."

It was Momiji's turn to blush. "You don't really think...?"

Lady Reiko's gaze drifted to the window to follow Shino's progress through the branches. "Who can truly know a man's heart until he makes it known?" Snapping open her fan, she stirred the air around her. "But enough of that. We should be reaching the Hata farm soon. Let us review what I have told you both about it."

* * *

The Hata farm was set amidst a field of canola flowers that filled nearly half of the valley it was nestled in with bright yellow. The processing of the flowers into oil and cosmetics provided work to two other families besides the Hatas. The honey from the farm was not as tasty as that from farms that grew other plants, but it, too, was used in cosmetics as well as sweetening the feed of livestock.

As with the other farms, the Hatas made a big fuss over the arrival of Lady Reiko, calling all three families to gather to meet her in their finest—the ladies in bright yukata and the men in dark ones.

"Welcome, Lady Reiko!" The weathered but hale head of the family bowed deeply to them, and the others followed suit, chorusing, "Welcome!"

"Master Hata, how good to see you again." Lady Reiko nodded regally in acknowledgment. "I am pleased everyone seems well."

"And you also." After another bow, Master Hata noticed Lord Aburame. "Good heavens, is that Lord Aburame?"

If the ninja in question seemed surprised, he didn't show it, but Lady Reiko was. "I thought you said you'd never taken a mission in Honey before."

"I have not."

Master Hata drew closer and squinted at Lord Aburame. "But it can't be...you wouldn't have aged a day."

It pleased Yatsumi that someone was paying so much attention to Lord Aburame. He had seemed to fade into the woodwork at the other farms they'd visited.

A frown creased Lord Aburame's brow, then he seemed to willfully dispel it. "I am afraid you have me mistaken for another Aburame. This is the first time I have been here. I look forward to visiting your lovely farm." It was the kind of complimentary comment she had taught him to say. He gave a half bow. "Thank you for your hospitality, Master Hata."

"Of course, of course! We have refreshments for you all inside." As he led the way into the house, he continued to stare. "Please forgive my curiosity, Lord Aburame, but are you by any chance related to Lord Shibi Aburame?"

For some reason, Lord Aburame's face shifted toward Yatsumi before he quietly replied. "I am his only child."

Master Hata bowed again. "Such a special day to have two such venerable guests—Lady Reiko and the heir to one of the great clans of Konoha! We owe much to your father, who eradicated an insect that threatened to wipe out every plant in the valley."

"Did he?" Apparently Lady Reiko was surprised by the revelation.

Master Hata continued to heap praise on Lord Aburame's father, but as much as Yatsumi wanted to learn more, it all became a distant buzz as the shock of being smitten with not just a clansman of Konoha but the heir of a revered and powerful clan sunk in. What chance did she have with someone like that?

"Yatsumi, are you alright?" Momiji took her hand and tugged her along in the wake of Master Hata and his revered guests. "Did you not know?"

After shaking her head, Yatsumi took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. "Ah! What does it matter?" The attempt at denial didn't diminish the sting in her heart. As much as she tried to objectively accept it was his own business whether or not he told people about how important his clan was, she still felt deceived.

"It only matters if you let it matter." Momiji's tone was chastising, rather than consoling. "Isn't that what Lady Reiko tries to teach us all? Look at me." Touching her chest with her three-fingered hand, she smiled brightly. "I was hardly better than a slave in a pit, but now I'm traveling with a wonderful noblewoman, seeing beautiful places, and living in a fantastic estate. Lady Reiko didn't limit me to my circumstances but saw who I was inside and all I could be. If Lord Aburame is remotely worthwhile, he'll do that, too."

"Girls," called Lady Reiko from the entrance of a room nearly as large as the dining room back home. "Don't dawdle."

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

It was not his imagination. Yatsumi's smiles for him were not as bright as they had been. Neither did she hold his gaze as long as usual when they spoke, as though she was no longer confident enough to look him in the eye. Although she was still just as polite and attentive, she seemed less enthusiastic. For some reason, it bothered him, and he found himself contemplating it as he followed the carriage.

Thinking back, he determined the change had occurred at the Hata farm, and the only reason that came to mind was that the significance of his heritage had been revealed. Why that might alter Yatsumi's demeanor, he didn't know, but he felt compelled to address the situation. He had been enjoying the comfortable quality of their interactions too much to not try to amend the situation. Besides, it would be good practice for dealing with others in the future. He knew full well not everyone was as understanding as Hinata or as thick-skinned as Kiba, so he couldn't expect others to respond to him as they did.

After another generous meal at the latest farm they were touring, Shino ran into Yatsumi as he made his way to the ofuro. Like the other farms, the members of this one insisted their guests bathe first. Unlike others, there wasn't one for each sex, so he had to wait until Lady Reiko, Yatsumi and Momiji were done.

"Yatsumi, may I please speak with you?"

She seemed briefly startled by the request before her usual pleasant demeanor resettled itself over her countenance and she bowed. "Of course, Lord Aburame."

"Is something wrong?" Lady Reiko's tone was mild with a hint of concern.

"Nothing is wrong, but if you need Yatsumi to attend you..."

His client looked at them both for a long moment then shook her head. "Come along, Momiji."

"Yes, Lady Reiko!" With a big grin that seemed strangely satisfied, the gardener took the bundle of Yatsumi's clothes from her. "Meet you back in our room."

Once they were alone, it seemed oddly awkward, in a way it had never been at the Zeniya estate. Perhaps it was the simple yukata she wore, tied with just a sash. Without the garb of her station, it was as though she was different, perhaps more vulnerable.

As he tried to figure out why there was a difference, she cleared her throat. "My lord?"

Although there was no one near them just then, someone could come by at any moment. "Would you mind walking with me?"

Blushing, she lowered her gaze. "Not at all."

Together they made their way to the end of the veranda and borrowed geta to walk between the apple trees of the farm's orchard. When he felt certain of their privacy, he turned to her. "Have I done something to upset you?"

She blinked at him in surprise. "No, Lord Aburame."

"Yet your interactions with me have changed since our visit to the Hata farm."

Following a bow, her gaze remained down. "I apologize if I have offended you in any way, my lord."

"I am worried _I_ have offended _you_."

At last, she looked at him fully, not a quick glance or skimming gaze. Her mouth hung open in apparent surprise.

"Why would I think that? Because I did not tell you about my clan." Before she could respond, he held up a hand to silence her. "I can only conclude, once you learned the importance of my clan, you became upset because I did not tell you before. If there is another reason, please tell me."

It took a moment for her to collect her thoughts. Then she lowered her hands to her side and leaned slightly forward, an earnest gleam in her eyes. "I was shocked to learn you were the heir of a great clan, but it is your right to decide when or if to share such information. I felt...wrong about having been so casual with you, that I should have been more formal in my interactions with someone as elevated as yourself."

When she lowered her gaze again, it bothered him, though he wasn't sure why. "Please look at me, Yatsumi." After she did, he continued. "In battle and life, it has never mattered that I am an Aburame, let alone the heir. All that has mattered is whether my comrades and friends can rely on me."

She seemed surprised by his words.

"Have you ever seen Ino act differentially toward me?"

After a moment's contemplation, she shook her head.

"She never has and never will. Why? Because we are both shinobi of Konoha." The breeze picked up, shifting the dappled shade around them and reminding him of their first walk in Lady Reiko's pleasure garden. "I had considered telling you the day we met, but it is not something I would usually mention. I thought I would sound pretentious."

Cheeks coloring, Yatsumi covered her mouth with her hand. "I hadn't considered that."

"Although some clans are larger and more powerful than others, we do not discriminate the way they seem to here. It is frowned upon to act superior to others due to your clan." But that was not what he wanted to say. "I am not used to my clan being an issue in this way. I would very much like it if you would consider returning to the way you had treated me before. I enjoyed the comfortable way you interacted with me."

The sparkle in her eyes returned, and her smile practically glowed. "I would be more than happy to do that, Lord Aburame."

As they made their way back to the farmhouse amidst amiable conversation, Shino felt pleased with himself. He had not only identified the problem but addressed it correctly and sufficiently enough to have achieved the outcome he'd desired. Perhaps Yatsumi's instruction was finally bearing fruit.

Within him, his hive shifted in a pleased manner. With the lovely weather, good food, and the return of charming company, there was every reason to be pleased.

* * *

DETAILS

Ofuro = traditional Japanese bath

Yukata = lightweight kimono usually made of a single layer of cotton

Geta = traditional Japanese wooden clogs—Jiraiya wore red ones


	10. Yatsumi and the Bee Festival

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE BEE FESTIVAL

July came, and Lord Aburame shared that his Inuzuka partner and dog were both born on that most romantic and wishful day—July 7, Tanabata.

"Does he have a special girl who makes him slothful?" wondered Lady Reiko.

With a laugh, Lady Yamanaka waved the prospect away. "He's too rowdy to be a herdsman, and we're not sure if he's gotten to the point of liking girls yet."

While Lord Aburame said nothing, an upward quirk of his lips suggested he found the proclamation amusing, which Yatsumi took as a sign of improved relations between them.

Despite her own romantic dreams, Yatsumi didn't feel right writing about them. After all, the wishes were attached to a stalk of bamboo just outside of the entry, where anyone could see them as they fluttered prettily in the breeze. What if Lord Aburame read her wish? Although he seemed pleased when in her company, he had been downright circumspect to avoid any private moments with her. Even so, she truly enjoyed every minute spent with him; therefore, she didn't want to risk jeopardizing the comfortable nature of their interactions by publicly expressing her most fervent hope, even if it was just with a brush and paper instead of words. In the end, she chose to wish for the health and happiness of everyone she cared for. After all, she sincerely wanted that, as well.

The month was filled with activities both inside and outside of the estate. There was the groundbreaking and party celebrating the building Lord Matsumori and the others were sponsoring where training would occur for combating tuberculosis, another perfume contest, a tea tasting at Lady Oku's, as well as a local festival at a shrine for business and agriculture.

Whenever Lady Reiko and Yatsumi left, Lady Yamanaka insisted Lord Aburame be the one to accompany them. Yatsumi couldn't help think this was intentional on Lady Yamanaka's part, since a part of her mission was to inspire romance for Yatsumi. Unfortunately, Lady Yamanaka seemed as thwarted by that aspect of her duties as she was by the investigative parts, since Lord Aburame seemed determined to avoid romance at all costs. There seemed to be something more to it than his recovering from heartache, but Lady Yamanaka offered no clues as to what else might be the cause.

As delightful as it was to share the joys of summer with everyone at the estate, eventually the day came that cast a shadow over her heart. Lady Reiko had wanted to give her the day off, but no work would have made it worse. Doing her duties, however unenthusiastically, was a welcome distraction. Anything was better than remembering her father's horrible death.

All day, the others treated her with special care, which she appreciated but didn't want. Ushie cooked Yatsumi's favorites for all three meals; Momiji tried to play long-onion sword fighting with her as they collected ingredients from the garden for lunch; Suzu gave her a long, consoling hug; and Lady Reiko treated her no differently, just as Yatsumi had asked. Even Lady Yamanaka was especially kind, offering her a calla lily, saying it was traditional in Konoha.

In the afternoon, Lady Reiko insisted Yatsumi visit her mother. Naturally, Lady Yamanaka assigned Lord Aburame the task of accompanying her. They walked in silence, his substantial presence beside her comforting just by being there. She could almost feel his concern and empathy, staid though it was. He had no doubt witnessed countless awful deaths, so she was confident he understood.

Like the time before, he waited outside the shrine while she visited her mother. Together she and her mother lit incense for her father, and one of the priestesses gave them a blessing and condolences. It was the best they could do, since neither of them had time to go to the temple at the center of town, where the lives of the dead were as much of a focus as the living. With tearful hugs and kisses, they parted with plans of seeing each other again during Obon festival.

As they made their way back from the shrine, Lord Aburame gestured to the lovely white flower Lady Yamanaka had given her. "Ino lost her father during the war."

After a tiny torrent of grief, Yatsumi felt a new affinity toward the kunoichi. Such a terrible thing to share with someone! Then she felt a pang of concern. "Please forgive my curiosity, Lord Aburame, but your father...?"

With a nod of understanding, he looked directly at her, goggles flashing in the sun. "My clan was fortunate. We only lost a few during the war, and my father was not among them."

That was good to hear. "Sometimes, I think what makes me most sad is that I took for granted the time I had with him." She twirled the flower in her hand, observing the translucency of the side facing the sun. "Do you...?"

Somehow, he knew what she was going to say. "My mother died when I was very young, so I was raised an only child by a single parent. Although the affection between boys and their parents seems to often have a different tone than with girls, we are close. I would not care to contemplate his loss."

Tears came, unbidden, to her eyes, and he seemed startled by them, his eyebrows raised in concern. "I am so glad you have a father and that you love each other."

Placing a hand on her back, Lord Aburame offered her his handkerchief. "As am I."

While she couldn't consider her state to be "good," she did feel better with his hand on her back, and she smiled up at him as she dabbed her eyes. Even if he didn't care for her as strongly as she did for him, he did care, and that made her feel fortunate.

As she dried her eyes, she couldn't help noticing the crest embroidered into one corner. The central figure was a beetle, one that reminded her of the little fellow she'd tried to remove from Lord Aburame's sleeve the last time she'd visited the shrine. It made her realize there had to be some connection. Suddenly the buzzing sound and shifting shadows that had surrounded him at the solstice party made sense. Did his family work with beetles the way Lord Inuzuka's worked with dogs? It would explain how Lord Aburame's father eradicated the pest insects at the Hata farm, how Lord Aburame killed every wasp the night of that party. Was that the secret Lady Yamanaka wouldn't tell?

Apparently he sensed her intensified interest when she looked up at him, for his own gaze seemed to return to the road in front of them. "Do you want to stop somewhere else before we return?" Even so, his hand remained on her back.

"No, Lord Aburame." She examined the handkerchief one last time before folding it neatly and returning it to him. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

He kept his hand on her back until a passing cart forced them to move single-file. That night, she dreamed of being held by him, of his long fingers across her back.

The next day she woke in a happier mood than she thought she would, and soon the day was filled with planning for the upcoming Bee Festival. Lady Reiko opened her house to all of the farmers who worked for her to share in Bepu's celebration of the insect most important to Honey. In a little over a week, the house would be filled with guests from all over, so she wasn't given much time to let her sorrow linger.

* * *

Shino couldn't help but appreciate the idea that an entire country celebrated that most vital of insects, the bee. Without industrious hives pollinating crops, food would be limited at best, yet most who weren't farmers didn't give bees a second thought. In Honey, everyone was aware of and appreciated nature's little helpers.

There was a nighttime parade with glowing bee and flower floats, bee dances with elaborate costumes and moves that mimicked the insects' communication, street lamps covered with bee-and hive-shaped shades and draped with banners of flowers. Honeycomb patterned clothing was everywhere, and even ladies' accessories sported the insect's likeness.

For a week, there was an endless parade of guests at the Zeniya estate, and every meal featured honey in one way or another. While he felt some of the dishes were an acquired taste, honey-glazed ham and honey-dusted dango were added to his list of favorite foods.

Of course, with all the activities, Shino and Ino were kept quite busy. Despite the influx of guests into the estate and Bepu, no incidents occurred. All went well until the last night of the celebration.

"Lord Aburame!"

On instinct, his body turned, even as his mind warned him he should not. A wash bucket over her chest and washcloth against her belly were all that covered his employer's lady-in-waiting. After a glimpse of pleasantly curved hips, a modest waist and flawless skin, he couldn't decide if turning had been a mistake or not. His hive was certainly pleased.

While it seemed as though time had slowed to allow him to take in her sweetly feminine figure, it couldn't have been more than a split second before Yatsumi hid behind one of the columns that supported the dressing area roof, not that it was a significantly more effective form of cover. Although she was wide-eyed and blushing madly, it was clear she was just as interested in his physique as he was in hers. This caused his libido to become involved, and he finally turned to hide his body's reaction.

"Wh-wh-why are you here?"

"Why? To bathe." He was standing in a rotenburo in nothing but a towel, so he thought it was obvious, though his thoughts were slightly rattled by the circumstances.

She gasped then huffed. "Of course. But why are you here _now_?"

"I prefer to bathe alone, so I try to use the rotenburo as early as possible when Lady Reiko has other guests." He kept a kikai stationed on the sign to alert him when it was turned. For modesty's sake, he began redressing, and he heard her turn away as he did so.

"Yet it is still the women's hour, my lord." Despite her clear discomfort, she still spoke in a polite tone, as though discussing the weather rather than chastising him.

"Not according to the sign." He noticed his clothes basket was the only one in use. "Where are your clothes?"

"In a basket on the bottom shelf." There was nothing there.

Men's laughter approached, and Yatsumi let out an alarmed squeak.

Grabbing a yukata and sash from the stack for the guests, Shino approached her hiding spot and held them out to her, his back still turned. "Quickly." The last thing either of them wanted was to be disgraced by others observing this suggestive scene.

He heard the sash being tied just as the outer door of the rotenburo rattled open. Without further delay, he scooped Yatsumi up then leaped into the western garden. She made a startled sound as they landed and quickly tried to remove herself, but he didn't let go. "Please be still. I shall set you down when we get to the access hall." It was bad enough that one of them was walking barefoot on gravel.

With a nod, she stopped squirming. "Yes, Lord Aburame."

Her weight and warmth in his arms was pleasing in ways that were more than sensual. Although he had carried her twice before, both of those incidents involved her being normally clothed and unconscious. This time, nothing but a thin layer of cotton separated his hands from her skin, and she clung to him with complete trust. "Who might have done this?"

At last she raised her head to look him in the eye, and she blushed. "My lord?" Her gaze drifted down his face to his mouth, and he glimpsed a hint of teeth as she unconsciously bit down on her lower lip.

Although he had observed her mouth countless times before, it was only then he realized how delightfully formed it was. It was neither too wide nor too small, and her lips were neither too full nor too thin. They were also shapely, with gentle curves at the end, as though eternally anticipating her next smile. It was a mouth that was meant to be kissed.

Her blush darkened. "The access hall, my lord?"

Without realizing it, he had stopped on his way to the narrow hall that separated Lady Reiko's suite from the west wing of the estate, close to Yatsumi's room. Exerting a conscious effort, he kept walking and returned his mind to the safer territory of investigation. "There were no other clothes than mine."

She frowned and raised a hand to touch her barrette, as though to make certain it was there. "But why would anyone take my things?"

"To embarrass Lady Reiko with this very predicament, for it seems obvious someone switched the sign early." After all, Yatsumi was too familiar with the schedule to linger into the men's time, least of all when so many guests were spending the night.

Having reached the access hall, he set her down. She held on a moment longer than seemed necessary, but before he could contemplate it further, she bowed. "You have my utmost gratitude, Lord Aburame, both for the sake of this estate and myself." She straightened and self-consciously tightened the folds of the yukata across her chest. "Had another guest arrived first..."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, as he had seen Kiba do to reassure others. It had the desired effect, for Yatsumi's agitation seemed to ebb. "It is done. I shall return to the rotenburo. Once you have dressed, let Ino and Lady Reiko know what has happened. Perhaps one of them or another staff member noticed something that will lead us to the culprit."

"Yes, Lord Aburame."

* * *

DETAILS

Tanabata is a celebration based on a story about a celestial weaver (Orihime) and herdsman (Hikoboshi) who fall in love and are so slothful once married that the other gods have no new clothes and the cattle get everywhere. So the couple are separated by the Milky Way and allowed to see each other only once a year, July 7th, the day the stars Vega and Altair that represent them are prominent in the night sky. It is celebrated in the manner I mentioned, with wish papers attached to bamboo fronds that are later burned at shrines and temples.

Temples and Shrines  
Temples are places of worship for Buddhism; shrines are for Shinto. What's the difference? Shintoism is native to Japan and has no transcendent death. It's more like Greek mythology in that the dead go to another, supposedly tangible place, and there are no elaborate death rituals or afterlife. The focus is on the living, and the shrines are very localized. Buddhism was long ago introduced by the Chinese and does have burial rituals and an afterlife; thus, it fills a missing need in the psyches of the Japanese people. Temples can vary by sect and era, but they are not localized in the way Shinto shrines are. The lines between the more secular Shinto and Buddhism can be rather blurred in Japan, but this is the gist of it. There is a religious pattern in modern Japan—most people are born Shinto, married Christian, and buried Buddhist.

Festivals  
I made up the Bee Festival—it seemed an obvious choice for the Land of Honey! Obon will be explained when we get to it.


	11. Yatsumi and the Truth

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love! Although I've told each non-Guest reviewer personally, please allow me to thank everyone reading and reviewing this series—I really appreciate it!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE TRUTH

"Lord Aburame," she whispered with breathless anticipation and a darkening blush. Hazel eyes gazed at him with unabashed longing as she slipped the upper folds of his kimono aside, exposing his skin to the cool air and her warm touch.

The sensation of her fingers skimming across his chest caused his blood to heat as he drew her to him. She came without resistance and curved her back to better fit against him. Bowing his head to kiss her neck, he felt as much as heard her little gasps of pleasure against his ear. He was distinctly aware of the lines of her kimono along his bare skin as she pressed closer and ran her hands through his hair. Her eager yet gentle intimacy caused his heart to ache with wonder, but his desire drove him to press her back firmly against a wall.

"Yes," she murmured with desperate need. "Please..."

xXx

Shino woke with a start from the first vividly carnal dream he'd had in months. It was frustrating and mortifying. More importantly, it was too much. While he enjoyed Yatsumi's company enough to not want to cause a change, that was not sufficient to keep him from revealing what he was to her. Doing so would end this nonsense. Once he had driven her away with the reality of the Aburames' power, maybe he could go back to the peaceful solitude of his regular existence.

In the meantime, he would have to pay a late-night visit to the restrooms and deal with his over-stimulated id.

* * *

_Could this be more awkward?_

Not only had she learned how lofty Lord Aburame really was but now he had also seen her all but naked! Despite how discouraging the former was and embarrassing the latter, neither really changed how she felt about him. Even so, how did one talk to a male guest after that? Goodness only knew, her attempts at their regular, comfortable chatter had sputtered and died ungainly deaths once the guests had left. Worse, she could tell something was troubling him, as well, but she seemed incapable of pulling it out of him. Maybe she needed to ask him directly in hopes of clearing the air.

While mulling over all that, she tripped over the same stupid cherry tree root she had tripped over a dozen times before and ought to have known better.

Lord Aburame caught her, his hand grasping hers as his arm supported her. "You're blushing." His inflectionless tone made it impossible to know why such a thing might matter to him. Was he annoyed? Embarrassed? Making fun of her? Merely articulating an observation? Who could tell?

"I'm sorry." It was the only sensible response she could offer, though it wasn't completely true. Now she knew that his hands were strong and warm, with slight callouses across the tops of his palms. They were good, honest hands that had seen real work, not the hands of a pampered lordling.

"Why?" One of his dark brows rose ever so slightly above his goggles. "Because you tripped or because you blushed?"

She could feel her cheeks darken further. Although he had given no indication it was his intent, she couldn't immediately think of a reason he might ask, other than to tease her. "Either. Both. Whichever might offend you, my lord."

"Why might either offend me?" He faced her fully, which she took as an indication he actually wanted an answer.

Taking her hand from his, she gave a blithe gesture. "I would think a shinobi would never be so uncoordinated as to trip in their own garden. So you might have found my lack of grace distasteful." Again, she wondered if a shinobi would every be satisfied with a regular person for their romantic partner. "On the other hand, as the heir of your clan, you no doubt have countless girls blushing at you on a regular basis and find it droll."

"No."

"No?" By that point, a regular guest of Lady Reiko's would be going on and on about the difficulties of being such a desirable catch. "Which part is in error?"

"Both."

Perhaps being terse was a professional asset among ninja on missions, but heaven help his friends when he chose to be so mulish! While she tried to keep the awkwardness from getting to her, it took effort, and she felt her control slipping from frustration. "Well, it's most kind of you to not judge poorly those of us who are less graceful. But you can not tell me the tall, handsome, capable heir of a powerful clan doesn't have girls blush at him as a matter of course."

Although he turned his face slightly away, she couldn't help feeling his eyes were still on her. "Yet that is, indeed, the case. Why?" His goggles glinted as his head shifted back to her. "Because I am an Aburame."

There was a sense of drama to the statement that made her unsure if he was being sincere, since it seemed like hogwash to her. It was time to let him know she knew his clan's secret. "So you can manipulate bugs, and some might find that unappealing. I have seen the lengths people will go for wealth and power and can not believe bugs would be enough of a deterrent, especially given how attractive your stature and prowess are."

"You do not understand." He stepped closer, and she had to tilt her head to look him in the eye. "Aburames do not merely summon and control insects." There was a subtle emphasis to his words, which hung in the air between them until, at last, she saw what he seemed disinclined to express in words. On his left cheek, a trio of holes appeared, and several of the little black beetles she had seen before crawled out.

She was at once fascinated and horrified. Reaching up, she touched his other cheek, searching for telltale signs of the insects beneath his skin. "How is it possible?" Spreading her fingers further apart, she just caught a flicker of movement under her thumb when she realized his cheeks were turning pink. Her own blush flared back to life as she realized how thoughtlessly forward she was being. Jerking her hand away, she shifted so she could bow without hitting her head against his chest. "My apologies, Lord Aburame! I did not mean to-"

"You are not afraid?"

"Afraid?" Straightening, she found him back to normal. No blush or holes or bugs to mar the flawless surface of his face. How had he done it? "Of what?" Her fingers twitched with the desire to touch his cheek once more.

Suddenly the little black bugs were pouring out of his sleeves and from his collar. The handful she had seen before had been one thing, but now she understood—_all_ of them lived within him. It was a daunting enough prospect to wrap her head round without having to suddenly endure the touch of countless insect legs against her skin, swarming along her hands and up her arms under her sleeves. With effort she didn't move to try to dislodge the tiny creatures. After all, they were an extension of him, and she would no more harm him than he would her. But there was something petty and small in his harsh demonstration that disappointed her. Closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath to calm herself, she fought the urge to cry with all her might. Staring hard at his goggles, she didn't even try to smile, just hide her displeasure and building anger. Despite her effort, her voice sounded shaken.

"Such an ungentlemanly means of proving your point."

After a long moment during which he seemed to do nothing more than study her face, he shifted slightly and disappeared in a blur of motion. Alone in the garden, she was left to wonder if she had somehow just scared away her best hope at a secure future as the beetles on her arms slowly dispersed to trail after their master.

* * *

Yatsumi had not provided the response he had expected. She hadn't screamed or fainted or cowered in terror. While she had definitely been scared, she had seemed more offended than anything else, as her last words to him suggested, causing him to feel a bit guilty about his behavior.

Although he had intended on showing her the truth, that had not been the way he'd planned on demonstrating it. Touch was so exceptionally personal to Aburames that she had startled him with her warm fingers against his cheek. Regular people were not supposed to want to touch him after they'd seen his kikai emerge, let alone with such an awe-struck expression. It was shameful and difficult to admit his decision to swarm her had been a panicked reflex to distance himself from the unbidden memory of his inappropriate but unsurprising dream. Erotic dreams were all a part of being a healthy, young male, but the one he'd had of her had disturbed him more than he'd realized. Once he had admitted it to himself, that left him with a very thorny question. Why was he afraid of having perfectly normal male interest in a perfectly interested woman?

_There was often a sense of surface to Maemi; she only shared what she wanted to. Shino respected her need for a personal life separate from what they shared. It made her moments of candidness all the more notable. "It's not unique to Aburames, you know, having problems admitting your feelings." On their walk in the park, they had witnessed a young man confess his love to a disinterested girl. At best, it had been an uncomfortable scene. "Unless they have an ego so great that they're oblivious, everyone worries about rejection. It takes courage to be honest about how you feel, whether it's with others or yourself."_

As he poked and prodded his psyche for the answer, he saw his mission-mate approaching his perch in the one tree in the neighborhood that was tall enough to provide him a view of the whole Zeniya estate.

"Good job, Shino." The sarcasm in Ino's voice did nothing to soothe his agitation. "I've spent the whole afternoon trying to calm the staff down after that little stunt of yours with Yatsumi. If you dislike her so much, you should just tell her to lay off."

"I never said I disliked her." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. The statement was too revealing, and he had yet to work it out himself.

Blue eyes narrowed at him accusingly. "I heard them describe what they saw. You _swarmed_ her. What? Was she attacking you with her smile or something?" Throwing her hands in the air, she made an exasperated noise. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"You were right." Agreeing with the person you were arguing with was a tactic he had learned from Yatsumi, and it worked perfectly. Ino blinked at him in surprise. "I felt Yatsumi's interest had become too..." He put effort into finding what he wanted to say but failed anyway. "...much. I was thinking it was unfair to her that she did not know what I truly am. I was thinking it was time I ended her fanciful notion that she might be interested in me." That he had to say those words to a Yamanaka made them especially difficult.

She confused him by huffing dismissively. "Well, all you managed to do was scare the shit out of half the staff. When I confronted Yatsumi about it, she defended you, saying she had provoked you. What a pile of bull." After giving him a long, stony gaze, she shook her head in disgust. "You're an idiot." Then, without another word, she left him and headed back to the estate.


	12. Yatsumi and the Reconciliation

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE RECONCILIATION

"Yatsumi, I think there's something wrong with Lord Aburame." Of all the staff, Momiji was the one least shaken by the embarrassing and deflating swarming event. The rest walked on eggshells around Lord Aburame; Nagisa and Furuko wouldn't even look him in the eye.

Of course, Lord Aburame had made it easy for the staff to avoid him, cloistering himself in his room, only emerging to conduct his ninja duties and essential hygiene. His behavior was disappointing in many ways. Yatsumi found his avoidance of her and the others not only unprofessional and inconvenient—after all, it was her job to see to the pleasant and peaceful functioning of the staff and guests—but also childish. A war veteran should really have enough wherewithal to continue interacting with others, even after such an unfortunate encounter.

Ultimately, it was simply rude and a catastrophically poor attempt to reject her feelings for him. Would saying, "I'm not interested in you that way" have been so hard?

Stifling a sigh, Yastumi smiled. "And why would you say that, Momiji?"

The gardener leaned forward, as though confiding some disconcerting secret. "He's off in a corner of the southern garden, muttering to himself."

My! That was worrisome.

After an awkward pause, Momiji added, "Wakume said she wasn't interested in dealing with deranged shinobi."

"Nor should she have to." It was Yatsumi's job to attend to guests, after all. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for it." Not that she could think of one just then. "I'll take care of it."

Having just come from the necessary rooms, she took the path to the right as Momiji called after her, "The southeast corner, near the white crabapple."

As displeased as she was with Lord Aburame's behavior, she couldn't keep herself from feeling a little thrill of longing and concern as she saw his tall form stooped near the corner, as though he bore some great shame or weight. It reminded her of how he was when he arrived, and she was surprised to realize how much more comfortable and confident he had seemed to become in his weeks at the estate.

With his keen ninja senses, he must have heard her scuffing along the path toward him, yet he continued to face the crabapple tree. As she grew closer, Yatsumi's worry heightened, and she felt like she was intruding on a private conversation as he quietly spoke to the trunk.

"...is not because I dislike you, but because I was afraid." He nodded, as though the tree had said something, before he continued. "For Aburames, touch outside of combat is such a rare occurrence that you startled me." He held up his hands in a placating manner. "I know it was not your intention to startle me. It was not my intention to swarm you." Lowering his arms, he sighed. "I had only meant to demonstrate to you what I truly am. To have such a charming young woman show so much interest in me without knowing what it means to be an Aburame seemed like a lie, like I was deceiving you." After nodding again, he continued. "That is kind of you to say, but having recently suffered romantic heartbreak, I could not bear the prospect of doing that to someone else. I thought, if I showed you what I am, you would lose interest. Then you touched me, and I..."

His talk with the tree caused her heart to ache for him. How lonely it must be to live as an Aburame! "I'm sorry." How very much she wished she could embrace him, not as a young woman and a young man but as one person offering consolation and support to another.

At last he acknowledged her presence, straightening at her words. "You have nothing to be sorry about." How could he speak softly yet so adamantly?

"You're right. I didn't know, not that knowing changes anything."

Turning to her, his brow was creased and raised high, as though is was both in pain and deeply confused. "How can you say that when I am _this_?" Again, the black beetles poured from his sleeves and collar, though they stayed near him this time.

She quelled her first, frightened impulse to step away. Then she reached out to catch one of the little bugs in her hands. Upon examination, she confirmed it was the same kind as the one from the shopping trip. "What do you do with them all?" Perhaps he would be more at ease if he got a chance to explain himself. Besides, she genuinely wanted to know. "Why do they have to live inside you?" She had no interest in meeting his distress with her own.

"They are kikaichu..." He seemed hesitant to discuss it. Did no one ever ask? Or perhaps it was forbidden to speak of it? "Destruction beetles."

Releasing her tiny captive, she watched it rejoin its swarm and waited for Lord Aburame to continue, consciously willing her skittering pulse to slow.

He seemed to calm a bit under her steady gaze. "They feed on chakra. That is both how they are used and why they live within us."

"They're how you killed all the wasps at the solstice party."

Nodding, his brow began to unfurrow.

"Is Akamaru a deadly part of Lord Inuzuka's abilities?"

"Yes." His voice was finally beginning to normalize, to lose its anguished undertone.

"Would Akamaru be a danger to an average person, like me?"

The swarm began to subside as Lord Aburame rested a hand against his chest. "Akamaru does not live inside Kiba."

Yatsumi nodded to acknowledge his concerns. "It is my understanding that Lord Uzumaki, the savior of the world, has a powerful demon living inside of him that can level mountains with a swipe of its paw." She had heard from Lady Yamanaka that Lord Uzumaki was their classmate and companion. "Should I be afraid of him because of what he has inside of him?"

"No..." It seemed to be an idea that had never occurred to him.

"It's true, the prospect of being covered by little bugs that would drain my life is completely terrifying, but I have no reason to believe you would do it." She shrugged. "If you wanted to, you would have done so already."

"I do not frighten you?" There was a hint of awe in his voice.

"I can't say I'm at all comfortable with the swarming, but no, I'm not afraid of _you_." With effort, she kept the heartache from her voice and expression. "I'm sorry to have burdened you with my interest. You have in no way given me a false impression regarding your interest in me, so you bear no responsibility for my unrequited feelings."

He raised his hand, giving her a fleeting hope that he might reassure her, before his hand fell to his side. "Your interest is not a burden, just...surprising and confusing and...unfortunately timed."

Yatsumi didn't know how to respond to that, and she strained to remain still so as not to reach out to him.

"Have you straightened things out and decided to stop sulking?"

They both turned in surprise to find Lady Yamanaka on the wall behind the tree.

With her hands on her hips, the kunoichi leaned forward to emphasize her displeasure. "It's not nice to make extra work for other people, Shino. You'll leave a poor impression of Konoha. I expect you to apologize to our client and smooth things over with the staff."

"I would be happy to-"

Lady Yamanaka cut Yatsumi off with a swift motion of her hand. "Yes, but _he's_ the one who caused the problem, so I want _him_ to do it."

Yatsumi bowed in acknowledgment to the kunoichi. Although her first instinct was to help Lord Aburame, perhaps Lady Yamanaka was right. Making amends with the staff would be good practice for his improving social skills.

"Ino is right."

Both of them looked at him in surprise, and he shifted his weight onto his back foot in response to their scrutiny.

"I believe demonstrating that the previous norm has been reestablished between us would improve my chances of success with the others. Why? Because I am certain they are as worried for your sake as much as they are for their own."

Lady Yamanaka raised an eyebrow in surprise while Yatsumi's heartbeat sped up despite her attempts to separate her professional and personal feelings.

After a nodding half bow, Lord Aburame's focus seemed to concentrate wholly on her. "Yatsumi, would you care to walk through the garden with me?"

"I would like that very much." She did her best not to care how bubbly she sounded. After all, she had every reason to feel bubbly.

"Just remember, I expect you to do a patrol in an hour." With that, Lady Yamanaka began walking away along the ridge of the tiles that topped the wall as though anyone could do it.

"Understood." Lord Aburame turned and gestured to the path they were on. "Shall we?"

Happily she drew closer to walk beside him. This time, instead of discussing far away places and adventures of his, they talked about the other members of the staff, formulating a plan how to best approach each one. It was delightful to not only return to the rapport they had shared before but to also be useful to him in a way only she could be.

It all made her feel hopeful about the prospect of gaining Lord Aburame's affection before his mission at the estate ended. As much as she tried to deny that hope, her heart would have none of it. Perhaps it would end in regret later, but she could no longer help herself from desiring his company and attention, from wanting to make him happy and be useful to him.

_It's just infatuation, and every young woman is entitled to an infatuation or two._

Thinking that allowed her to set aside her worries of how she'd feel when he left at the end of summer. She knew full well that life could be short and uncertain, even in the era of peace they were experiencing, so there was no reason to deny her feelings because of worry over possible future heartache.

_What will be will be!_

* * *

With Yatsumi's assistance, Shino was able to reassure the other members of the staff. In dealing with each member, he learned just how closely knit the staff of the estate was.

The maid with the scars, Nagisa, was the hardest to convince. Among shinobi, scars were common, so it hadn't occurred to him how she might have been traumatized in acquiring hers. After learning how she had been beaten by her husband, Yatsumi's suggestion to talk to her while he was seated and she was standing, to give the maid a more dominant position, seemed sensible. Even so, Nagisa's fear of him was palpable. Once she realized he was trying to appease, her demeanor grew more intrepid, and she met his gaze with trembling courage, "You would never hurt Yatsumi, would you?"

Although the others didn't say so outright, their sentiments were similar. "If Yatsumi has forgiven you for what happened, then I am good with it as well," explained the head of staff. "Just, please, don't do it again, Lord Aburame."

Their camaraderie was heartening and reminded Shino of the Will of Fire, the philosophy instilled into the shinobi of Konoha to fight for your fellow shinobi and the wellbeing of all.

The youngest staff member, who'd been with them on the trip and heard stories of his father in action, didn't seem to have been bothered by the situation. Apparently she had figured it out what it meant to be an Aburame, despite Master Hata's lack of specifics. "So you and Yatsumi have made up with each other? I'm so glad!"

"_You can tell a lot about a relationship by the people around them." Maemi nodded toward a trio of his classmates. Temari of the Desert had come for a visit, and the old Team 10 had gathered to greet her. Although there was no telling demonstration between the visitor from Suna and Shikamaru, the knowing looks of his teammates implied there was more going on than simple hospitality to a dignitary. It made him wonder how his own teammates reacted to his relationship with Maemi. It hadn't occurred to him it should matter, and he wondered if it should._

Lady Reiko was openly appreciative. "Thank you for your efforts in smoothing things over with the staff after that unfortunate incident." Fanning herself languidly with an exceptionally painted folding fan, she observed him a moment before softening her voice. "We are all of us human and capable of behavior that is less than ideal. Not everyone has the wherewithal to appreciate the need to placate others after such an occurrence. The capacity for humility is an admirable trait in a man."

Although Shino didn't like to think of his mission to make amends with the staff as humility, he did appreciate the sentiment behind Lady Reiko's odd approval. Although he prided himself on conducting himself responsibly and reasonably, he had seldom had his character praised by anyone but his teammates and father.

"I am as glad as you to have the estate return to normal, Lady Reiko."

* * *

The next day, someone set the new compost pile ablaze, taking part of the tool shed with it. No one was hurt, but both he and Ino were frustrated that they were halfway through their assignment and no closer to uncovering the culprit or culprits responsible for the disruptions to the estate.


	13. Yatsumi and the Obon Festival

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE OBON FESTIVAL

Ino came up with the idea, and Shino willingly admitted its merits. The Befu Obon festival was approaching, and Shino's mission-mate had suggested they use it as a chance to trick Lady Reiko's tormentors into revealing themselves. It was a simple but potentially effective scheme.

The Zeniya household would make the regular sorts of purchases that would precede attending a matsuri, thus giving the culprits forewarning regarding their plans. Then Shino would create a bug clone of Ino to go to the festival, since a smoke clone would be too insubstantial to interact with the crowds and eat festival foods. With both Shino and the clone going, it would provide the appearance that the estate was being left unattended. Meanwhile, the real Ino would lay in wait, ready to capture Lady Reiko's tormentors if they took advantage of the situation. Shino's only concern was that Ino was so used to working with her teammates during martial conflicts that she might have difficulty subduing multiple opponents alone. Of course, he was not so foolish as to say so.

The ladies of the Zeniya estate were like a festive bouquet in their bright, floral yukata. Unlike the Bee Festival, when golds and grays dominated, each one had a distinctive color. Yatsumi's had a white base with pink flowers ranging from light to dark. The pale color made her easy to spot as the group joined the crowds heading to the festival grounds. He wondered why being able to spot her easily mattered, compared to the others. After all, he and his clone were monitoring all nine of the ladies. Contemplating the issue, it was difficult to deny her interest in him heightened his interest in her. It was very appealing to be found appealing.

Stalls lined the major roads, offering regional specialties alongside the sorts of festival foods you might find anywhere. The further along they went, the more scattered the group became as each woman sought her favorite treat.

"Lady Reiko." He stepped close to his employer. "It is difficult for me to monitor everyone this way."

She smiled at him, her gray eyes sparkling with some merry sentiment as she wrapped her arm in his. Although Ino had long ago informed their employer of his nature—and the whole swarming incident had made it crystal clear—to be accepted by Lady Reiko was altogether different from being touched so casually. "Do _try_ to have a bit of fun." Then she turned her attention to her employees. "Let's stick together, ladies!"

A chorus of, "Yes, ma'am" rose from around them, and they were soon a cohesive group again.

Once more, his attention was drawn to Yatsumi, who was sharing cotton candy as pink as her obi with the assistant chef. Although an objective observer would likely consider Yatsumi's companion the more attractive of the two, he found himself transfixed by the lady-in-waiting as she bit into the fluffy confection and unintentionally pulled off more than she could manage. Then her friend plucked the excess away for herself, and they laughed with lips that sparkled with sugar. Seeing that stirred an impulse to discover how sweet Yatsumi's mouth tasted, and he consciously shifted his gaze away from her.

As though she could read his mind, Lady Reiko gave him a knowing look. "I wouldn't mind, you know."

"Excuse me?"

His employer's gaze grew accessing, as though unsure if he was serious. "Don't play coy with me, young man. You cannot be so duty-minded as to be unaware of Yatsumi's feelings." Then she shook her head and gazed out over her employees again. "Being a servant can be very lonely. So long as her virtue is not compromised and you are discrete, I wouldn't mind."

The thought of pursuing his interest in Yatsumi caused his pulse to briefly race and his hive to shift with interest. What would her hair feel like between his fingers? How would she react to his kisses? Was the rest of her skin as soft and warm as her hand? Although a part of him was enthralled by the intensity of his emotions, his experience with Maemi made him want to keep a tight rein on his feelings. "It wouldn't be appropriate."

"That attitude does neither of you any favors." With a sigh, she patted his arm. "You must do what feels right to you, of course." Then she left him to join the head of the staff, who was sharing a bag of some honey-scented treat, leaving him alone with his thoughts and desires.

For a brief moment, as the street they were on merged with another and the crowd surged, he let go of all that stood between him and Yatsumi and allowed himself to feel as though they were nothing more than a young man and a young woman enjoying a festival with friends. It was so pure and lovely a moment that it almost hurt to experience it.

As though aware of his gentle anguish, Yatsumi turned to look at him with concern in her eyes.

Despite being in the middle of a throng, it felt as though the two of them were somehow separate, the rest parting and moving around them as they shared some awareness of each other he couldn't name. The closest he'd ever come had been in battle with a foe of equal strength, yet the tenor of this was completely different.

As Yatsumi took a step toward him, her hand reaching for him, her mouth opening as though to offer him kind words, he caught a furtive movement out of the corner of his eye, someone forcing their way through the crowd toward Yatsumi. Without thinking, he pulled her behind him to stand between her and whatever might cause her harm. The thought of her in danger unsettled him in a way that didn't match any of the horrible experiences he'd had during the war. It was new and only for her.

"Oh! Please excuse me." The woman who bumped into him wore clothes that were plain and functional, but it did not diminish her beauty. With dark glossy hair that reminded him of his kunoichi teammate's and stunning brown eyes filled with intelligence and warmth, she was quite attractive, yet no one in the crowd seemed to notice her. On second thought, Shino decided that she was being intentionally ignored. It was then he realized she must be Yatsumi's mother.

"Mother!" Yatsumi's hand rested on his where he held her arm, somehow conveying her request for release with her touch. Once freed, she embraced her mother with exuberant joy, and he was moved by the scene. "How did you find me?"

Releasing her hold on her daughter, Mrs. Mushiroda glanced his way and smiled. "You said a tall, dark, and handsome shinobi was protecting all of you, so I looked for one." She bowed to him. "So nice to meet you, Lord Aburame. Thank you for looking after Yatsumi and the others."

He nodded to her. "It is my duty and pleasure."

"Oh! And such a manly voice, too!"

Blushing, Yatsumi tugged her mother's arm. "Let's get going, or we won't find room at the bon-odori."

Although Shino could detect no particular communication among the others, they surrounded Yatsumi and her mother like a squad of samurai protecting their charge, forming a barrier between the two and the rest of the festival goers.

After a few more stops for treats, they arrived at the festival grounds where dancers moved to the lively beat of taiko. The deep booming was clearly audible despite the noise of the crowd all but drowning out the other musical instruments being played atop the yagura.

As the dance came to an end and a new set of dancers began to form rings around the yagura, the ladies of the Zeniya estate surprised him again. The assistant chef took one of his arms, and the assistant gardener took the other, chirping, "There's no better way to watch over us than to dance with us!"

At first he held his ground. Although he had witnessed many bon-odori over the years, he had never participated in one. While he was confident he could learn the dance quickly, he had never considered participating. Aburames required constant control to survive and prevent their kikai from running amuck. There was a free, uncontrolled aspect about dance that made the prospect seem almost alien to him.

"_Those with real confidence aren't afraid of looking foolish."_

_While walking through a park, he and Maemi had witnessed the eternally active Rock Lee speed past, doing a lap around Konoha while walking on his hands._

"_You don't need to wear such clothes to be confident." As an Aburame, Shino could never quite bring himself to approve of the skin-tight spandex worn by the taijutsu master._

"_True, but you could learn a thing or two from him." _

"_How so?"_

_A speculative glance was followed by an exasperated huff. "Lee wears what he wants, moves how he likes, says what he thinks, and does what he will. He is completely free, uninhibited. Perhaps he is extreme in those respects..." Her blue eyes met his gaze with some negative emotion he couldn't identify in them. "But you would be the opposite extreme." _

"_I am a ninja." It was impossible not to be slightly offended by her attitude, though mostly he found her claim illogical. "Nothing limits me but the laws of Konoha." _

_She looked away from him so he couldn't see her face. "Sure. If you say so." The tone of her voice suggested she didn't mean it at all._

Then he decided to dance. The bug clone of Ino was watching over the senior staff observing from the crowd, so there was no precautionary reason not to.

He couldn't help but conclude the young women intentionally positioned him behind Yatsumi. Turning to look at him, she smiled. "I'm so glad you decided to join us. I wasn't certain if your duties would allow it."

Behind him, the assistant gardener called out. "They're about to start!"

Positioned as they were, about ten strides from the yagura, the taiko were nearly deafening as they beat the preliminary notes of the song. Soon piercing flutes and other instruments joined in as the rings of dancers began to move. It was a reasonably simple dance, comprised of twelve movements spread out over sixteen measures of music. He had it mastered by the second iteration.

While there was nothing particularly special about the movements themselves—step with the left and raise your arms to the right, step with the right and lower your arms to the left, and so on— moving in synchronization with dozens of others gave him a unique sense of himself as part of a whole. It was slightly similar to the feeling he had several times during the war, when the shinobi of many nations were united as one, but the difference was that it involved coordinating himself with others for the soul purpose of celebration. As he allowed that extraordinary feeling to permeate his senses, strings of lanterns were lit to keep away the gathering dark of evening, making the moment even more enchanting.

In front of him, the white base of Yatsumi's yukata seemed to draw the light, making her appear to glow and reminding him of fireflies. She danced with enthusiasm, her motions carefree and exuberant in a way he had yet to see, and he was struck with the desire to create the circumstances where she could be like that all the time. It was then he decided there was no reason to deny how he felt. While he was still uncertain of their compatibility, that could be easily remedied. He would find a way for them to have time alone together, resulting in either mutual enjoyment or awkward dissonance. Either way, then they would know.

* * *

The evening was wonderful. Yatsumi got to be with her mother, dance in the bon-odori with Lord Aburame, share countless goodies with her coworkers, and set a paper lantern adrift on the river for her father. It was the best day she had had since her father's death, and at last she no longer felt that niggling sense of guilt for allowing herself to be liberated from her grief. "Your father would want you to be happy," her mother had said. "Let's celebrate him instead of just mourning him."

As they made their way back to the Zeniya estate, Lord Aburame drew up beside her, and she smiled at him. "Did you have a good time?"

He nodded and, to her complete astonishment, took her hand. "It was delightful."

Glad it was too dark to see her blush, Yatsumi allowed herself to enjoy the giddy feeling of having Lord Aburame's affection. It was difficult not to skip like a gleeful child and savor the moment. "I'm so glad!"

Too soon they were home, and they entered to find a triumphant Lady Yamanaka sitting on the entrance steps, holding a rope with two unconscious people tied to the end of it. "Got 'em."

"Well done, Ino!" Lady Reiko bowed to the kunoichi. "You have our gratitude."

The other members of the estate chorused their thanks.

"Did you learn who hired them?" Although he sounded no different than normal, he squeezed Yatsumi's hand, as though to keep her aware of their little intimacy.

With a sour face, Lady Yamanaka lifted her chin toward Yatsumi. "It's as we suspected. The head of the Mushiroda."

Everyone turned to face her, and Yatsumi let go of Lord Aburame's hand to bow. "I'm so sorry to have caused so much trouble."

Lady Yamanaka gave a dismissive snort. "You didn't do a damned thing, so there's no need to apologize."

Straightening, Yatsumi saw the kunoichi stand and slip on a pair of geta. "Help me take these two to the local authorities, Shino. I couldn't carry both by myself."

"Of course."

As Lord Aburame hefted the larger of the two over his shoulder, it occurred to Yatsumi the objective that had brought him to the estate had been accomplished; there was no more reason for him to stay. The thought dimmed her bright happiness, but she decided it had been too lovely a day to let such thoughts spoil it. Instead she called her thanks with the others as they closed the gates behind the ninja. Then she ate peaches and drank tea and played go with everyone until the moon rose and Chisono sent them all to bed.

* * *

DETAILS

Obon Festival is a time to celebrate the dead. Most people in Japan travel to their ancestral hometown to clean the family gravestones.

Bon-odori are dances performed during Obon festivals. Most places have unique dances.

Taiko are those big, barrel-shaped drums you've probably seen in anime at one point or another. If you ever get to see a performance, you should go; it's very powerful to experience in person.

The yagura is a central, raised, roofed platform, often 15-20 feet in the air or more, used during Obon festivals for the musicians.


	14. Yatsumi and the Meteor-Viewing Party

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE METEOR-VIEWING PARTY

"Of course you're not leaving yet—next week is the meteor-viewing party!" Lady Reiko waved her uchiwa fan at them as though to swat down the idea like an irritable fly. "You yourself said missions have been few and far between since the end of the war, so it's not as though staying would keep you from other assignments. Besides, I paid for three months."

Shino found it curious how Ino glanced at Yatsumi before declaring, "Well, it is nice to get to bathe in a rotenburo every day, and staying here would allow us to beat the last of the summer heat in Konoha."

"Then it's settled." Turning to Yatsumi, their employer accepted a refill of her teacup. "Be sure to let Chisono know when we're done with breakfast."

"Right away, Lady Reiko." Yatsumi's smile was especially bright.

It pleased Shino and his hive that holding her hand for a few minutes could bring her such happiness. Although he knew it was a bit presumptuous on his part, he couldn't imagine Ino catching the culprits could cause such a reaction. Other than that, he was aware of no other significant changes in the lady-in-waiting's life to explain it.

Now all he needed was the opportunity to be alone with her long enough to determine how suited they were when it came to private concerns. "Chemistry," as his impulsive teammate would call it. As much as Shino wanted to consider the possibilities of what might happen if everything went well, he resisted. Not only did he not want to set himself up for potential disappointment, he had often been chastised by others for planning everything to the _n_th degree. This time, he would be spontaneous. With seven days to work with, there was no need to rush.

* * *

"Yatsumi."

With a yelp of surprise, she dropped her basket of tomatoes. "Lord Aburame!"

Before she could pick them up, he had done it for her. "I didn't mean to startle you."

It was broad daylight on a still day, and she hadn't heard a sound, not even the shifting of his kimono sleeves. "It's all right. I'm sorry I yelped."

As she took the basket from him, he intertwined his fingers with hers. Despite the innocuous gesture, she felt her cheeks heat up, and she couldn't take her eyes away from his long, strong fingers as they gently rubbed hers, covering their hands with that yellow powder tomatoes are notorious for. The light shifted, and she looked up to see him leaning closer to her, almost as though...

"Yatsumi, I-"

"You all right, Yatsumi?" Momiji called out from the transition between the entrance and vegetable gardens. "Oh! I didn't mean to-"

"Please tell me there hasn't been a new incident!" Lady Yamanaka came from the western garden, fanning the late morning heat away with an uchiwa.

Uninterested in sharing...whatever was going on with Lord Aburame, Yatsumi pulled the basket closer to herself so their fingers parted. "No, I just-"

"Where are those tomatoes?" Ushie hollered from the kitchen door.

"Coming!" Uncertain what to do, Yatsumi bowed to Lord Aburame. "Thank you." If her gratitude sounded a little breathless, it was only because his touch had stolen most of her breath.

* * *

Yatsumi was surprised when Lord Aburame asked if she would like to play a game of shogi with him. Not once in two and a half months had he played a game with anyone. Of course she agreed, both because it was her duty and because she looked forward to any time she could spend with him.

As they entered the greeting room, there was a buzzing sound from the tokonoma, and her blood ran cold.

"It is a bee." Lord Aburame placed a hand against her back, and she felt reassured.

With a relieved sigh, she moved to the storage closet to take out the shogi board. "So late?" It was after dinner and beginning to grow dark outside. Then again, with the doors to both the entrance garden and the veranda that ran around the central garden open, to let the evening breeze through, it was a wonder only one bee had been attracted to Lady Yamanaka's spectacular floral display.

"There are several crepuscular varieties of bees." He took the weighty, blocky board from her as though it were no heavier than an empty box. "They are especially common in desert areas, where the heat of the day subdues both fauna and flora." Placing the board in the middle of the room, he settled behind it. "Night-blooming plants need pollination, too."

Although he spoke almost professorially, there was something about the words said in his smooth, low voice that made her blush. "And here I am, living in the country of Honey, and I didn't know."

His eyebrows raised in worry. "I did not mean to make you self-conscious."

"Oh, you didn't!" Pouring the game pieces onto the board, she focused on keeping them from skittering off the edge. "It made me think of something else."

Halfway through setting up her pieces, she noticed he hadn't started yet. Looking up, she found him blushing, too. "Lord Aburame?"

There seemed to be some sort of restrained energy in him, and sensing it caused her pulse to pick up. When he reached out to place a hand on hers, it sent a thrill through her. "Yatsumi, I-"

"You'll need tea and treats." Suzu appeared in the doorway with a tray.

As she bustled about, setting out the tray table, Yatsumi and Lord Aburame finished setting up their pieces. He graciously allowed her to play black, giving her the first move. By the time Suzu was done, Lady Reiko and Lady Yamanaka had arrived.

"I've never seen Shino play shogi." Lady Yamanaka was wearing the same lavender yukata she'd chosen for the Obon festival, which set of her eyes and hair wonderfully. "He refuses to play my teammate—probably because he knows he'd lose."

"Shikamaru would acknowledge there is little point in engaging in an unnecessary conflict you have little chance of winning." The special tension in him from earlier was gone, but his demeanor seemed content, despite the conversation.

"Ha! So you admit you'd lose."

"I do not."

"So how did Lord Nara come to be such a talented shogi player?"

Yatsumi did her best to keep Lady Yamanaka occupied with tangential topics, but she kept coming back to Lord Aburame not playing her teammate.

At last, Lady Reiko tied a knot in that conversational thread by asking, "And how often do you play against your teammate, Ino?"

They whiled away the evening playing games and ironing out details for the coming party. As lovely as it was, Yatsumi couldn't stop thinking about Lord Aburame's touch and blush. Had he said whatever it was he'd intended to say?

* * *

Yatsumi had accepted the task of finding the special star-patterned yukata Lady Reiko used for meteor-viewing guests. It seemed odd to her, since she hadn't joined the estate until after the meteor shower the previous year and hadn't a clue where they might be in the linen storage room. After going through all of the boxes on the first three shelves with no luck, she was struggling to reach the first box on the top shelf when she felt a pleasing shiver run up her back.

"May I be of assistance?"

Turning, she found Lord Aburame filling the narrow doorway the same way he filled up her senses when they were alone, almost to the exclusion of all else. "Yes, please." Reluctantly, she turned back to the storage shelves and pointed. "I'm trying to get that one down at the moment."

A second later, she didn't regret turning her back to him, for he was there right behind her, his body so close to hers she could feel the heat of him. Then his arms stretched out on either side of her, reaching for the box. Wondering what they'd feel like around her made her nearly swoon. Perhaps it was some kind of strange claustrophobia, but the dark, quiet, narrow space combined with his proximity seemed to cause her to lose all sense of propriety. She willingly, intentionally leaned into him.

For a brief, beautiful moment, it was perfect. Her head rested against his shoulder, and she could feel the sharp intake of his breath as her back grew flush with his chest. His mild, earthy scent, like fresh cedar mulch in sunshine, surrounded her. So close, she could hear the buzz of his hive, as though excited, though it was difficult to hear above the pounding of her own heart.

His arms shifted, as though about to embrace her, his lips brushing her temple in the most enthralling way. "Yatsumi, I-" Then the box he'd been reaching for tumbled down on them, scattering clothes and dust, causing them to sneeze and other members of the estate to come and check what had happened.

That night she couldn't help replaying the incident in her mind. Something had changed in him since the Obon festival, and these odd yet delightful moments between them gave her hope he felt for her at least a part of what she felt for him. She dreamed of being held in his strong arms while he whispered sweet words against her temple.

* * *

The day before the party, Lady Reiko sent Shino and Yatsumi to buy a few last-minute items. He thought he'd finally have the opportunity to steal a moment alone with her somewhere, but every last attempt ended up spoiled. When he offered to buy her lunch, all of the private rooms at her favorite restaurant were taken. Worse, they ended up at the bar, cramped between a half-deaf pair of elders that yelled their conversation and a sweaty, odoriferous stockyard worker. When he'd asked to walk through a park with her, the play of oblivious children interrupted them constantly. When he'd boldly taken her hand to find a secluded area of the shrine where Yatsumi had stopped before, they were shooed and scolded by a wizened gardener wielding a broom.

As much as he'd wanted their first kiss to be spontaneous, he was growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to successfully find and enjoy such a moment.

"Are you all right, Lord Aburame?"

There was a hint of concern in her expression as the reached a hand toward him before hesitating. Impulsively, he reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "I am always all right when I am with you. Why? Because you have a way of making everything all right."

It was like turning on a light, her expression grew so bright. "I'm so very glad." Then her eyes widened.

Turning to see what had caused her surprised expression, he saw the fading glimmer of a shooting star.

"Ah! I didn't know we could see them so early in the evening."

He nodded in agreement. "It must have been a big one."

"I can't imagine how we'll see much tomorrow night, given the amount of lights Lady Reiko will have out."

Among their various purchases were two hundred votive candles, after all.

While contemplating the effects of the artificial light on meteor viewing and the best place on the estate to avoid it, he had an idea that caused his hive to move in a contented manner.

"What is it, Lord Aburame?"

Patting her hand, he gave her a reassuring nod. "I am confident Lady Reiko's party will be perfectly enjoyable."

* * *

At last, the day of the party arrived, and everything was ready. Countless votive candle holders with stars cut out of them had been polished to sparkling perfection and scattered strategically about the pleasure garden. Their lights made it seem as though Lady Reiko had tricked the heavens into providing them their own miniature night sky.

To add to the affect, Lord Aburame had summoned all of the lightning bugs for blocks around to dance above pots of grass hidden among the regular garden greenery. Combined with the dreamy music of the pair of harp players Lady Reiko had hired, there was a magical quality to it all.

As the sky grew dark, the cushions on the veranda and the chairs set in gravel path in front of it began to fill with guests while the staff cleared away the dinner buffet and began setting out pots of sencha and sweets, and sake and salty snacks. Once everyone was settled, Lady Reiko had all the electrical lights turned out, so only the candles, fireflies, and stars lit the estate. It was beautiful!

Soon everyone was oohing and aahing over the rain of light in the clear night summer sky, and Yatsumi felt that sense of satisfaction she always got when a party had reached the point where success was inevitable.

A shiver of excitement ran through her, and she turned to find Lord Aburame approaching, looking so handsome in his midnight-blue kimono striped with tiny golden stars at the ends of streaks of white. "Are you enjoying yourself, Lord Aburame?"

A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth, though she sensed he wasn't really upset. "I believe you were right. There is too much light here to enjoy the meteors properly." He held out his hand to her. "But I have found the perfect place. Would you care to join me?"

It was the last event she would get to spend with him, and she had no interest in turning down whatever he offered. Taking his hand, she tried to keep her smile demure but failed. "I would be delighted!"

* * *

DETAILS

In the middle of August, Earth passes through an area with many meteoroids, filling the sky with countless shooting stars.

Shogi is a traditional Japanese strategy game similar to chess. It is also the one we usually see Shikamaru playing.

A tokonoma is a unique traditional Japanese architectural feature. It is essentially an art niche where usually seasonal arts are displayed, such as wall scrolls and flower arrangements.

Sencha is unroasted, unground green tea made from fresh dried tea leaves.


	15. Yatsumi and the Rooftop

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE ROOFTOP

"This way," murmured Lord Aburame.

As he led her along the inner veranda, Yatsumi could barely contain her excitement. At last she was alone with the one person who had ever made her heart race. Could he feel her pulse with his keen ninja perceptions? Could holding her hand make a seasoned war veteran excited, too?

Only a handful of votive candles lit the central garden. Although she had seen it every day and night for nearly a year, it seemed somehow different with no lights or lanterns, just a few flickers of flame. The darkness combined with the knowledge everyone else was in another part of the estate somehow made the open space feel secluded.

She followed him to the stairs that gave the guest room access to the garden, where he gestured for her to stop. Then he took a step down, turned, and scooped her up in his arms.

"Oh my!" Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, bringing her nose dangerously close to the crook of his neck. It made her lightheaded with want, but she didn't feel confident or daring enough to place her lips against his skin like she wished to.

If holding her so affected him in any way, his sedate expression revealed nothing. "This is the only way to get you there." Then he leaped onto the roof ridge like he was doing nothing more strenuous than hopping over a rain puddle.

It made her stomach feel like it had been left on the veranda as she clung to him with a gasp. "Lord Aburame!"

"Do not worry." Without sure-footed effortlessness, he walked to the middle of the far side of the roof. "I shall not let you fall." Then he lowered her onto the rooftop. "I cleaned it last night, so it should not soil our clothes or feet." Settling beside her, he turned his face upward. "I was right. It is much darker here."

Pulling her eyes away from him, she looked up and was amazed. Every few seconds another shooting star streaked by, sometimes several at a time. White, blue, green, gold—they came in every color and shot through the sky in every direction. While all that was the same as it had been in the party area, viewing them from the rooftop over the dark vegetable garden made their light more vivid, their afterglow less evanescent. How could such a short distance make such a difference?

"It's wonderful."

She hadn't thought anything could distract her from her awareness of him, but the spectacular display of lights managed to do it.

As they sat there, quietly watching the sky, the world seemed to diminish despite the expansive view. It was as though they were the only two people, and she let herself become lost in the sensation of secluded togetherness and the pleasure she took from being the one by his side, sharing such a magnificent experience.

After an indeterminate amount of time, he cleared his throat, causing her to start. "Yatsumi."

She turned to him and admired his noble profile backlit by stars. "Yes, Lord Aburame?"

"I have so enjoyed the perfume contests that I am considering taking up the habit when I return." Turning his head, his glasses flashed. "Of course, I would have to invite Kiba, and with his sense of smell, it would be difficult to create a combination that would challenge him. I think I have done so but would like a second opinion." He leaned a bit closer, causing her heart to flutter. "Would you please tell me what you think?"

"You're wearing it now?" He was upwind of her, yet she hadn't noticed anything perfumey about him.

"Yes."

She leaned a bit closer to sniff. "I'm afraid I don't smell it."

He made a contemplative noise in his throat. "Kiba says he can concentrate better on smells by closing his eyes."

Closing her eyes, she drew another deep breath, but only his unique, cedary scent filled her nose. Then she heard him shift just as she felt the press of his lips against hers. After a moment of still surprise, she returned his kiss with eager abandon, wanting to convey every warm feeling and ounce of longing he generated in her.

Having only experienced furtive little pecks with her ex-fiancé, she wasn't quite sure what to do. The subtle pressure of his cool fingertips gliding along her jaw calmed her over-excited response, causing her to focus on what he was doing, rather than what she was attempting. His lips moved in smooth slow sweeps that expressed quiet self-assurance and unhurried patience. Then it dawned on her—there was no need to rush. Who would interrupt them on the rooftop?

It was remarkable she had that much thinking capacity left, given how dizzying his kisses were. Had she not been sitting, she surely would have swooned as her pulse raced every which way with each new touch.

Feeling she should be doing something with her free hand, she daringly reached out, coming in contact with the transition from the edge of his kimono to the warm column of his neck. Given the confident control of his kisses, she would never have guessed that his heartbeat was as harried as hers. It caused her a moment of pure bliss as she realized he might share a measure of the emotions he inspired in her, that she could make such a man's heart race.

His nearer hand slipped into her hair to cradle her skull as her perceptions tilted and she gasped in realizing he had laid her out on the roof tiles. With her obi's bow causing her back to arch provocatively and absolutely no will to wrest the outcome of this encounter from him, she felt intensely, intimately vulnerable, yet her trust in him and desire for him silenced every warning bell in her head. This was more than anyone resigned to old maidhood could dare hope for, and she had no intention of letting propriety keep her from experiencing it to its fullest.

Instead of touching her legs or body, as she had been told other men would, Lord Aburame continued to hold her head above the tiles with one hand while his other covered the hand she was using to trace his jaw. After his fingers brushed across her knuckles, he swept them down her forearm. She had never considered such a gesture could be so exquisitely sensual, but as his thumb rubbed circles across the sensitive inner surface of her elbow, a deep primal hunger ignited within her, causing her to moan and lift her hips.

Before her moan was over, the tip of his tongue slipped between her teeth to lap hers. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Wet, startling and invasive, she was initially taken aback by the deepening of their kiss. Then his hand slipped into her sleeve to make its way along her upper arm and splay across her shoulder. His touch was so gentle and comforting that she felt reassured enough to cautiously return his tongue's caress.

It was his turn to moan as he drew even closer, until his hard chest crushed against hers, causing her to be fully enveloped in his scent. He seemed to lose a bit of self-control, his fingers growing grasping as he delved deeper into her mouth, but it only added fuel to her emotional fire. Relaxing her jaw, she gave him full access as her fingers reached into his hair to finally feel the coarse texture of his inky locks.

By the time he pulled back to catch his breath, she was totally overwhelmed. How could she feel so much in such a short amount of time? How could she go on knowing she might never get to experience such elation again?

Then he smiled at her, his wide mouth parting to reveal perfectly straight teeth gleaming in the starlight. She had caused him to smile, and she wanted nothing more than to inspire as many smiles in him as she could. In that moment, she finally understood what all the poets wrote about because she knew she was truly in love with him. Her heart ached with such profound joy that she began to tear up.

His brows lifted with concern. "What is wrong?"

Shaking her head, she released his hair to run her fingers across his worried brow, trying to smooth it. "Nothing is wrong." Her voice came out breathless. "I'm just so happy that I can't contain it, and I feel deeply honored to have seen your smile." She was filled with more emotions than she could find words for. "I wish I could make time stop so I could live in this moment forever."

Pulling his hand free of her sleeve, its warmth was immediately missed. Grasping her hand, he tenderly kissed her palm before pressing them both against his chest, over his heart. "Why would we want to limit ourselves to just this moment?"

As much as the promise of more pleased her, reality was slowly settling back into the flow of time. "Because you are the heir of your clan, and I am just some servant girl from Honey."

He frowned then smiled and shook his head. Leaning close, he gave her a kiss as sweet as candy. "You underestimate yourself."

Perhaps he was right, and no matter how hard she tried to rein in her hope, she wanted to believe he meant more than he said. As she opened her mouth to tell him she was fine with whatever he wanted from her in the last days that remained, Lady Reiko's voice drifted up to them.

"Where have they gotten off to? Should I be worried about Yatsumi's honor?"

Naturally, Yatsumi blushed in mortification, considering what she'd been about to offer Lord Aburame. He smiled at her again. This time there was a hint of mischief in it.

"Trust me." Lady Yamanaka's voice was dismissive in its frankness. "Shino's the last guy you'd have to worry about causing a girl to lose her head."

That prompted Lord Aburame to blush while Yatsumi sat up with an indignant frown. He shook his head at her, silencing the retort on the tip of her tongue, but Lady Reiko conveniently spoke for her, though her word choice was more polite. "How can you say that? He is so tall, dark and handsome, with a fine physique and manly voice."

Their voices began to fade as they moved away. "You think he's handsome?" wondered Lady Yamanaka.

"You don't?" countered Lady Reiko.

The hand that had cradled her head was resting against her back, just above her obi. It gave a reassuring rub. "I suppose we should rejoin them."

She didn't want to, but she nodded in agreement. With the same effortlessness he'd demonstrated in getting her onto the roof, he scooped her up and leaped noiselessly to the veranda perpendicular to them. Then he set her down and let go with evident reluctance.

Feeling suddenly shy with her feet back on the ground, she hesitantly reached out to straighten the collars of his kimono that she had set askew.

The corners of his mouth quirked up in a subdued smile. "Your obi...I should..."

She turned her back to him and felt him tug the crumpled bow back into shape. His fingertips against the nape of her neck caused her to shiver. "I have mussed your hair."

With a snap, she hastily released her barrette and rewound her knot. Once the barrette was back in place, she asked, "Is it all right now?"

"Perfect." The warm appreciation in his voice caused her to turn only to be met with a heated, toe-curling kiss that was nothing like the leisurely ones from before. His teeth nibbled her lips as though she was a tasty treat, and just as she was about to lose herself completely again, he stopped. Stroking her cheeks, he nodded. "Now we can go."

Unsure what all that had been about, she tripped after him to rejoin the others with a contented smile on her face.


	16. Yatsumi and the Bet

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wants Shino to have some love!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE BET

The previous night had been all Shino could have ever hoped for. Yatsumi had responded to him with innocent eagerness and evident enthusiasm. At last he was wholly convinced it wasn't just her polite nature—she honestly wanted him. The heat of her earnest desire had burned away all that remained of his reticence and the lingering traces of hurt from his previous relationship. Indeed, her soft lips and gentle touches had ignited an irresistible passion in him. Despite his initial reluctance, there was no denying he wanted her as well.

The realization had shifted his whole outlook on the prospect of finding contentment in his future; he could be happy with this charming young woman beside him. But before he could ask Yatsumi if she would consider the possibility of leaving all she knew for him, he needed to discuss the issue with his father and her employer. Since he would have to wait until his return to speak with his father, that left Lady Reiko, but he was hardly inclined to mention it at breakfast with Ino and the party guests present.

Although he did his best to behave no differently than he had any other morning, it was difficult when Yatsumi managed to touch his hand every time she handed him something. Each brush of her fingers sent little sparks of awareness up his arm, reminding him of the delightful pleasure of their time on the roof.

At one point, Lady Reiko and Ino exchanged a meaningful glance, and Ino asked with an unnaturally sweet voice. "You seem in an awfully good mood, Shino. Any particular reason?"

"I am pleased the meteor viewing was concluded without incident." It was the first and only overnight event that had.

"And how was the view from the roof, Yatsumi?" asked Lady Reiko.

Doubtlessly, Yatsumi tried not to blush, but she did anyway. Despite her evident awkwardness, it gave him satisfaction that the memory affected her so. "It's remarkable how such a short distance can make you feel closer to the heavens."

Lady Reiko gave an amused snort. "Perhaps next year I'll build a platform so we all might enjoy such...titillating heights."

Shino briefly considered the possibility Lady Reiko might be aware of how he and Yatsumi had conducted themselves the night before, yet if she was, she didn't seem displeased. It left him hopeful about his request being positively received.

Lady Ichimura's eyes squinted with mirth. "Be careful, or I might steal your idea for myself. The autumn moon is only a month and a half away!"

* * *

Normally, Shino was a patient man, but his keenness to begin the process that would bring Yatsumi permanently into his world affected him on a subconscious level. He ate his breakfast more quickly than usual, forcing him to consume second helpings in order to have an excuse to stay. He even helped guests with their luggage to hurry them out the door and hasten the arrival of a time when he could speak privately with Lady Reiko. She had promised to see him after a final chat with Lady Oku. In his impatience, he found himself silently pacing the roof over the greeting room, waiting for their conversation to end. Uninterested in the chatter of idly rich widows, he hadn't bothered to consciously listen until he overheard his name mentioned.

"...Shino is the one," insisted Lady Reiko.

Lady Oku chuckled. "Oh, you said that about the last three."

It was easy to guess she was referring to the previous shinobi given this assignment, but Shino was unclear about the context. They didn't seem to be discussing the troubles that had plagued the estate.

"I _said_ that about the last three, but I _mean_ it this time." Lady Reiko's voice dropped into to a confidential level, but Shino heard her nonetheless. "Last night they were kissing on the roof, and this morning he has asked to speak with me privately."

A gasp of astonishment was followed by a fan snapping open and being used. "My my, you may win this bet yet."

And then his heart stopped beating as though it had suddenly ceased to exist. His kikai began to move frantically within him, confused by the abrupt change in their host, and he leaped away, lest their audible sound alert the ladies to his presence. Unlike the end of his relationship with Maemi, this revelation didn't just leave him feeling hollow; it hurt with an intensity that rivaled the time he'd fought a top-ranked rogue and sustained multiple broken ribs. It hurt to such a consuming degree that he was unaware of his own actions until Ino's voice broke into his haze.

"What are you doing?"

Between learning his heart had been part of a bet and Ino's interruption, he had apparently changed from his kimono into his usual clothes and packed his belongings. Yes, leaving seemed the prudent course of action. Stuffing the last of his things into his pack, he drew in a deep breath and focused on keeping his tone as calm as possible. "We have been brought here under false pretenses."

Ino made a disgruntled noise. "You know."

The pain of betrayal compounded the hurt of deception, and he turned to her. "You knew?" It was only when Ino stepped back that he realized his hive had spilled into the room, filling it with a menacing buzz.

Holding up her hands in a placating manner, Ino used her most reasonable voice, with none of her usual chastisement. "You have every right to be angry, but this is not Yatsumi's fault."

Just the mention of her name brought back the sublime hope he'd had that morning, and he involuntarily clutched his chest, as though doing so could ease the ache. "Did she know?" Even in his own ears, he sounded frightening.

Ino stood her ground. "Blame Lady Reiko; blame the Hokage; blame me; but don't blame her."

"Did she know?"

Ino seemed both angry and sad at the same time. "You should ask her yourself." It was the same as saying she did.

There was a knock at the door. "Lord Aburame, is everything all right?"

Just the sound of Yatsumi's sincere concern was enough to make him want to bolt from the lies and the hurt. So he did, and Ino's furious, "Get back here, you coward!" was not enough to get him to even look back.

He ran and ran and ran, vainly trying to flee his turbulent thoughts. He didn't stop until he reached the Land of Wind, where the border patrol that intercepted him fed him and hydrated him and let him go with mercifully few questions asked. Then he kept running until he was in the middle of the desert and could sense no other human as far as his beetles could fly while maintaining contact. Satisfied he was alone, he set a perimeter guard of kikai and cocooned himself in his sleeping bag. Then he gave in to his misery and cried for the first time since his mother had died.

* * *

"You're going to drown it."

Snapping out of her daze, Yatsumi straightened her watering can before glancing up to meet Lady Yamanaka's keen gaze.

"You've really got it bad for him, don't you?" Lady Yamanaka's smile was sympathetic.

Yatsumi could feel her cheeks flush as she nodded. "But that is neither here nor there, since Lady Reiko has decided he is unworthy and there are better fish in the sea."

Kneeling down beside her, Lady Yamanaka gave an exasperated sigh. "But it's not Lady Reiko's heart on the line."

With a nod, Yatsumi also sighed. "Although I have considered writing him, letters can go unread...and he clearly didn't feel I was worth even a 'good-bye.'" Although she tried to speak normally, her voice quavered at the end. At least she'd managed not to cry publicly, and Suzu had given her an effective tonic that soothed tear-stained eyes. Sadly, nothing could soothe the ache in her heart that nearly rivaled the loss of her father.

Lady Yamanaka was clearly unconvinced by her brave front. "If he had no interest, would he have been so hurt?"

With a sad chuckle, Yatsumi shrugged. "I have considered that, but there is little I can do if I can not see him and speak with him, face-to-face."

"Then go where you can see him and speak with him face-to-face." She said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And then there it was—a spark of hope that Yatsumi felt was both welcome and deranged. "But how could I...?" The idea was easy enough for a self-sufficient shinobi to suggest, but a trip to Konoha would be both lengthy and expensive for a civilian.

A glint of mischief lit Lady Yamanaka's stunning blue eyes. "You're clever and resourceful. If it matters enough, I'm sure you'll find a way."

* * *

DETAILS

Please don't be mad at me! If you've enjoyed it so far, you should enjoy all that's to come, too.


	17. Yatsumi and Kiba

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Sorry to get this up so late! I've been waiting all day for ffnet to fix whatever was keeping us from accessing our accounts. One of the advantages of writing fic is you can bend or even break certain standards. In this case, it's having a new perspective enter into the plot so late into the story. In normal fiction, no one would do that, but it was too much fun for me not to. I hope none of you mind!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND KIBA

"Hey, Kiba." Izumo raised a hand in greeting while Kotetsu flipped through the papers on one of the clipboards that littered the gate guards' desk. "Mission go well?"

"Well enough." Anytime you could come home without being hospitalized or exhausted was a decent mission by his standards, even if those tended to be the duller ones.

Kotetsu passed him the clipboard so he could sign the appropriate record. "We kind of have a situation we'd like your help with, if you're not too tired."

"Situation?" Kiba glanced around in confusion at the normal gate activity.

Izumo looked uncomfortable as he tilted his head toward a travel-stained girl on a bench by the gatehouse. "This young lady says she has urgent business with Shino, but we have no record of her, though she claims to have worked for Shino's previous client. If you were willing to..."

Kiba didn't need to take a sniff to detect the anxiety and misery in the girl. Apparently sensing his scrutiny, she turned to him, and her tired eyes lit with recognition.

"Lord Inuzuka?"

Kotetsu made a startled sound while Akamaru gave his equivalent of a laugh. But Kiba couldn't help the little thrill of pride he felt at being addressed so formally and with so much hope. He might not have a clue what was going on, but he sure as heck was going to find out!

Offering the girl a toothy grin, he asked the gate guards, "So, what do I have to sign?"

* * *

Shino opened his family's gate to find Kiba standing beside a travel-worn Yatsumi. Just seeing her, the happiness shining in her hazel eyes, his heart skipped a beat. A quick glance from Kiba suggested he might have caught the altered rhythm, but his old teammate didn't comment on it.

"Hey, Shino, aren't you going to invite me and your friend in? We just blew into town. Some tea might be nice."

After the initial flush of excitement, the sick feeling he'd experienced at the end of his last mission returned in full force. Shino stepped into the street and closed the gate behind him. "She is not my friend."

Yatsumi gasped and visibly paled. Apparently she was at a loss for words, for an awkward silence fell as Kiba looked from Shino to Yatsumi and back until Yatsumi's cheerful countenance crumbled under the weight of Shino's gaze.

Kiba was clearly startled by her reaction. "Shit, man, what did you do to her?"

"Please do not concern yourself, Lord Inuzuka." Tears sparkled in her eyes, though Shino couldn't help questioning their legitimacy. "It is merely a...misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding, my ass!" With a growl, Kiba turned back to Shino. "You made a girl cry in ten seconds flat! No wonder you're such a dateless..." Shino could see the light of realization go on in Kiba's eyes. "Where do you come from, again, Yatsumi?" No doubt Yatsumi had spent her time with Kiba talking about his favorite subject—himself.

"She comes from the Land of Honey. She worked for my last employer." The sooner Kiba's questions were answered and they were off his doorstep, the better.

"You came here from Honey all on your own to see Shino?" Kiba's tone suggested he was working through the situation, rather than asking a question.

Ever the conversationalist, Yatsumi answered him anyway. "Essentially, yes, though I traveled with a caravan."

Kiba pointed an accusing finger at Shino. "You knocked up an employer's servant!"

Shino could feel his cheeks color while Yatsumi held up her hands, as though that might alter Kiba's trail of thought. "No, Lord Inuzuka!"

Drawing inappropriately close to Yatsumi, Kiba took a good sniff of her and grunted in affirmation. "Well, he must have done _something_!" With a condemning scowl, Kiba's focus returned to him. "I'd expect better behavior out of an heir! What would your father think?"

"Kiba, please lower your voice."

They all turned to see Hinata approaching with Akamaru in tow.

"Hinata." Shino gave her a nod and felt the tiniest bit of relief that she had joined them. Perhaps she would help him end this situation.

She nodded to her teammates. "Shino, Kiba, who is this?"

Before either could answer, Yatsumi bowed low and formal. "Lady Hyuga, it is an honor to meet you."

Kiba grinned, "This is Yatsumi. She's a friend who came for a visit from the Land of Honey. Right, Shino?"

The Hyuga heiress's gaze fell to him, and he could feel her curiosity despite no outward sign of it.

Shino's brow furrowed, goggles flashing as he turned his head. "Kiba, Yatsumi is not my friend. Why? A friend would not manipulate you _for_ _financial_ _gain_."

His teammates' eyes shifted to his former employer's lady-in-waiting, who squirmed under their scrutiny, her expression suggesting she wished the ground would swallow her instead. At first she opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. At last she bowed. "I apologize for not telling you about my lady's wager, but that was not my secret to tell. I assure you I had no intention of manipulating you."

Shino's full focus drifted back to Yatsumi. He watched as she folded her arms in front of her, perhaps trying to protect herself from his piercing stare. "Your intentions are questionable. Why? You have used such underhanded tactics with many of Konoha's male clansmen."

"What?" Kiba turned his head toward Shino, and then back to the ex-employer's servant, whose eyes were clearly pleading.

"Tactics?Lord Aburame, please do not mistake Lady Reiko's intentions for my own. It's true you were hired under false pretenses, but I have only ever been truthful with you."

Hinata's eyes softened as she released her byakugan, the powerful, revealing vision of her clan. "Shino, she speaks the truth."

_"We aren't really that close, Shino." Maemi tucked a strand of dark-blond hair behind her ear with one hand while the other turned the page of the magazine she'd been preoccupied with before he had come to visit. He sat still, trying to calm the agitated insects that crawled underneath his skin. Since when had they not been close? "I just think we should see other people."_

"A shinobi's job is to see through lies and deceit. Why is this? So that missions can be completed successfully, without fail. The mission I was assigned has been accomplished. You may leave now." Shino felt a tiny pang of guilt as he watched Yatsumi's composure fall apart again.

Fangs bared in a silent snarl, Kiba fully faced his teammate. "Shino, what the hell is wrong with you? Stop being an asshole!"

"Kiba, please lower your voice." The Hyuga heiress's request was quiet and calm yet insistent. "There is no point in badgering Shino about an issue he has chosen to disregard, no matter our opinion on the matter."

"Come on, Hinata! She came all the way from Honey just to see him. You can't think it's okay for him to blow her off like this!"

"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

Hinata looked up at the clouds, which had developed a purple tinge to them. "It is getting late." She shifted her gaze to the young woman in question. "Where will you be staying?"

"I…" Yatsumi looked a little overwhelmed. "I hadn't-"

"I signed for her at the gate." Stepping closer to Yatsumi, Kiba defiantly lifted his chin with an instinctive air of protection. "She'll stay with me." Although it was nothing more than Kiba responding as any responsible Inuzuka would, something about his proximity to and deference toward Yatsumi irked Shino.

Hinata shook her head. "Kiba, it is inappropriate for a young lady to stay with a young man."

His Inuzuka teammate's chin dropped as he blushed. "I didn't mean _with me_ with me! She could sleep in my sister's room."

"Have you asked Hana about this?" Although she said it plainly enough, a smile teased Hinata's lips.

"No..."

"Don't you think it's a bit presumptuous to assume Hana would be all right with that?"

Scratching the back of his head in awkward indecision, Kiba glanced from Hinata to his charge.

Hinata's subdued smile turned sad. "Since the war, there have been many spare rooms at the Hyuga compound. Yatsumi, you may stay with me."

"Thank you for your kindness, Lady Hyuga." Yatsumi bowed, gratitude shining in her eyes. "And yours, also, Lord Inuzuka." After bowing to Kiba, she turned at last to Shino. For the briefest moment, he could see the hurt in her eyes, and it resonated with his own. Then, like the flick of a switch, her gaze became blandly pleasant and she bowed to him as well. "My apologies for inconveniencing you with my unexpected visit. Good evening, my lords."

"This way." Hinata offered, and the two turned and made their way toward the Hyuga properties.

Kiba gave him a disapproving frown. "What is your problem, man? She seems really nice."

"Where is her barrette?" It wasn't until she turned that Shino noticed Yatsumi's long brown hair was held back by a simple ribbon.

"Huh?" His genin teammate glanced from Shino to the retreating form of the girl and back. "What are you talking about? She was like that when I picked her up at the gate."

"She sold it." They both turned to see Ino approach with a gesture that questioned his intellect. "How do you think she could afford the journey? It's not like she's a shinobi and can make the trip alone."

Acknowledging the prospect Yatsumi had sold something so precious to her caused Shino's heart to lurch uncomfortably in his chest. That she would do it to see him made him feel conflicted, as he questioned whether it was an act of desperation or manipulation, neither of which was appealing.

Sauntering up to stand beside them and watch Yatsumi leaving with Hinata, the kunoichi shook her head. "I'd introduce her to one of Choji's cousins, but what's the point? It's not like she came here for any of them." Sighing, she crossed her arms and shook her head again. "I suppose, being a part of Ino-Shika-Cho, I should be used to it, but it never ceases to amaze me how someone so smart can be such an idiot. You're lucky enough to have found someone interested who can deal with the bugs. It's not like a girl would follow a guy like you across Wind and half of Fire without a pretty compelling reason." With a wave, Ino left. "You should really get over yourself, Shino."

"I was right!" Kiba slapped him on the back—hard. "You sly dog!"

Being chastised by Ino was bad enough, but providing food for Kiba's ego was simply aggravating. Turning, Shino returned to the peace of the Aburame compound and closed the door behind him.

"You know, it helps to talk these things over, Shino!" Even muffled by the gate, the falsely comforting tone of Kiba's voice was clear and did nothing to settle Shino's nerves. "Don't expect the topic to go away!" Shino heard Kiba and his dog turn away. "Wait up, Ino! I want to hear more about this mission you were on."

In general, Aburames didn't sigh; it was a waste of breath that served no practical purpose. But just then, Shino couldn't help sighing. He'd thought he'd escaped his emotional turmoil by returning to Konoha only to find it delivered to his doorstep by his now very-involved, very-persistent best friend. What on earth was he going to do?


	18. Yatsumi and Shibi

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Set a few years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND SHIBI

"Lord Aburame!"

It had been years since anyone had called out to him with such a pleasing combination of trembling delight and warm affection, though there was also a fair amount of surprise in the unfamiliar female voice. Shibi turned to find a young woman who was neither tall nor short, stunning nor ugly, heavy nor thin. She would have been almost remarkably unremarkable were it not for the blush on her cheeks and the earnestness shining in her hazel eyes, eyes that quickly grew startled.

She offered him a formal bow with the effortlessness of years of practice, and he noted her slight knock-kneed, pigeon-toed stance that gave evidence of growing up kneeling on tatami rather than sitting in chairs. "I beg your pardon, my lord. I mistook you for someone else."

The accent and speech pattern told him she was an immigrant, one who had been raised within aristocracy. He couldn't help wondering if she had been the cause of all the fuss outside his gates a few days earlier. "And yet, strictly speaking, you have made no mistake. I am an Aburame, Miss..."

"Yatsumi Mushiroda, my lord."

It amused him that she had yet to straighten from her bow. "Miss Mushiroda, would you do me the kindness of speaking to me face to face?" If she didn't right herself soon, the contents of her shopping basket would spill onto the street.

"Of course, my lord." She straightened immediately, and even though she couldn't possibly see the smile behind his high collar, she seemed to respond to it, smiling back at him.

Her ability to pick up on hidden Aburame facial expressions erased all questions from his mind. "You mistook me for Shino, didn't you?" It had happened before when he'd gone without his bug jar.

The darkening blush on her cheeks and dilation of her pupils at Shino's name spoke volumes, though all she said was. "Yes, my lord."

Having never seen or heard of a girl who responded to his son in such a way, there was no resisting the impulse to know more. "Miss Mushiroda, if it would not disrupt your schedule, would you mind having tea with me so we might discuss your involvement with my son?"

Her eyes rounded as her whole face flushed and she bowed again. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Aburame, but there is nothing to discuss." Although she was clearly trying to keep her voice pleasant, there were hints of heartache in her words.

"Please." Holding out his hand where she could see it, the young woman straightened again and took it. There were people he'd worked with since childhood who still hesitated to take his hand. That she did not caused a little thrill of excitement. It also made him curious what could have happened to cause his son to reject someone who could accept Aburames with such ease in such a short amount of time. "Shino will not speak to me of it, and discussing it with you would save me the embarrassment of questioning Ino."

Perhaps it was a bit cruel to socially corner her like that, but after a moment she sighed and nodded, the sparkle in her eyes dimming as though inwardly acknowledging some sad truth. "As you wish, my lord."

* * *

Shibi's conversation with Yatsumi had been enlightening. He'd thought it courageous, if a bit fatalistic, how honest and open she had been about all that had happened, with the exception of what he could guess were her most intimate interactions with his son. She had skillfully dodged acknowledging her own feelings about the matter, only expressing regret that she had caused Shino any distress and reassuring him she would not intentionally seek out his son.

Like most proud parents, he preferred to give his son the benefit of the doubt, but there was no other conclusion to draw—Shino was being foolish. Admittedly, it was better to be foolish over matters of the heart than, say, tactics or trade, but this flaw in his son gnawed at him like a belligerent kikai, making him want to root it out.

Of course, Shino was also proud, and after the disaster that had been his relationship with that Yamanaka girl, his touchiness about the topic was inevitable and understandable. Still, Shibi felt it imperative to at least broach the subject. From time to time, Shino would consult him on troubling matters; perhaps revealing he was aware of and accepting of Yatsumi would alter his son's perspective. Given the situation as it stood, Shibi determined he could hardly make matters worse.

He was taking his afternoon tea in the clan library when he felt the time was right. Shino entered, and there was no one else there. His son's hood was down and his headband off, indications of relaxation and openness, and he offered Shibi a nod before moving to peruse a shelf on botany.

"Perhaps you should frequent the farmers' markets more often."

Since he would occasionally start conversations with his son by employing non sequiturs, Shino paused before replying. Seemingly unable to fathom a deeper meaning, his response was direct. "It is unnecessary. Why? Because it is rare that the duties of cooking fall to me."

"That may be, but it's the ideal place to meet young ladies who _do _cook."

Since Shibi had kept his nose out of Shino's first relationship, his indirect reference to romance immediately set Shino on edge, though all that could be seen was a subtle stiffening of his son's stance. "I'm sure that is the case, but at the moment-"

"In fact..." Stifling a grin, Shibi rudely spoke over his son's verbal evasion. "I recently met the most charming girl there, an immigrant from Honey, of all places."

Shino went perfectly still, but Shibi could sense the increased vibration of his agitated hive.

Although he maintained his conversational tone, he was fully aware his son wasn't buying any of it. "I would be tempted to introduce you to her, but the unfortunate miss is a victim of unrequited love, and she seems steadfast in her fruitless devotion."

"You know of Yatsumi." Despite the flatness of Shino's tone, Shibi heard a wealth of emotions in those four words, many of them conflicting but all of them strong.

"How is it you know her name, Shino?" The innocent surprise in his voice was stage worthy. "Did you meet on your last mission, perhaps? Or... It couldn't be _you _she's pining over? I have always considered you to be far too intelligent to-"

At last his son moved, only to storm out of the room and slam the door behind him.

Releasing his grin, Shibi sipped his tea and mulled over Shino's response. While it was hardly favorable and did not inspire him to feel a simple solution might be close at hand, there was one thing he was absolutely certain of—if Shino no longer had any feelings for the girl, Shibi couldn't have evoked such a powerful reaction from him.

With both Shino and Yatsumi intent on avoiding each other, and the girl cloistered away in the Hyuga compound, he couldn't imagine the situation might resolve itself any time soon. Uninterested in waiting for fate to take its time while his son worked through his personal issues, Shibi decided he should help fate along.

Returning his tea tray to the kitchen, Shibi then fetched his overcoat and left the clan compound. After a moment's consideration, he headed toward his favorite robata shop and sent a handful of his beetles to fetch Hinata and Kiba. Just as a single kikai could not bring down an enemy, so too would he need the help of others to bring down his son's self-defeating stubbornness.

* * *

DETAILS

Robotayaki is a form of grilling food slowly on skewers over hot charcoals.


	19. Yatsumi and the Unexpected Guest

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Set a few years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE UNEXPECTED GUEST

After being blindsided by his father bringing up Yatsumi, Shino had been impressed and relieved by his friends' restraint when it came to inquiring about the personal complications of his mission to Honey, though a part of him was curious about how Yatsumi was faring. The Hyugas treated their servants well, so he couldn't help questioning his interest. She would survive; it was enough. There was no call for him to care more than that.

He knocked on Master Kurenai's door, wondering what type of mission might be matching him up with his genin master.

His senses became momentarily befuddled as his ears registered who had opened the door before his eyes did. "Lord Aburame!" Apparently she was as surprised as he was. At last his eyes confirmed his ears' information—it was Yatsumi.

She looked completely different. Her brown hair was in a short bob, and the simple black pants and loose green shirt were like nothing he'd seen her in before. With Master Kurenai's girl on her hip and the welcoming scents of cooking wafting around them, she could have been any man's wife. He watched a flock of emotions wing across her face until she settled on her quintessential polite smile and bowed to him. "How may I help you?"

Mirai giggled. "Again! Again!"

At last he found his tongue. "I have a mission with Master Kurenai." He was pleased his voice did not betray any of the inner turmoil that seeing her had caused him.

She bowed again, causing the girl on her hip to laugh with glee. "Please come in."

As Yatsumi set out slippers for him, Mirai gave him a gap-toothed smile. "Have you come to play?"

"No, Mirai. I am here for work."

"Awww!"

Patting the girl's back, Yatsumi gave her a look that seemed to express mock exasperation. "Now, Mirai, you know your mother has an important job. Grown-ups don't always have time to play."

"Yes, Yatsumi."

They led him to the family room where Yatsumi gestured to the nearest sofa. "Please wait here."

From deeper into the condo, Master Kurenai called, "Is that Shino?"

Mirai leaned away from Yatsumi's ear. "Yes, Mommy!"

"I'll be out in a minute."

From his position, Shino could see into the kitchen, dining area and hall leading to the other rooms, so he watched as Yatsumi puttered around with Mirai, preparing a tray of tea and treats. It wasn't that he wanted to watch; it was more that he was compelled to watch in the same way a dog was compelled to chase a stick. They were the only motion in the house, after all. This aspect to her life had previously been invisible to him, but even so, there was no reason for him to be so interested.

Yatsumi allowed Mirai to carry the tray to the coffee table, a task which the girl apparently was quite pleased to have been being trusted with. Once Mirai was done, Yatsumi thanked the girl and knelt with a sweep of her hand along her shin, as though to smooth the edge of a kimono, then poured two cups. He felt a flicker of disappointment that she set a cup on the end table beside him instead of handing it to him personally. Then he wondered why he'd felt anything at all.

After bowing to him, she stood and offered her hand to Mirai, which the girl eagerly took. "Let's go to my room, and I'll read you a story from that library book I was telling you about."

As they made their way down the hall to a room that had once been used as a small play area for Mirai, Master Kurenai passed them on her way to him, pausing to pat her girl's dark curls with her free hand. In her other hand were several files, which she spread on the cushion beside her as she sat on the sofa across from him. She sighed in pleasure as she sipped her tea.

He had to ask. "She lives here?"

"Yes." His master chuckled. "Kakashi always joked that I needed a wife. Now that the Sarutobis have started providing some support for Mirai, I can afford the equivalent of one."

Suddenly, he became aware that the condo was tidier than it had been in quite some time. "What happened to her hair?"

"What does it matter?"

Looking over, he found no question in his master's frank gaze, so he took it as a rhetorical question and remained silent.

She shook her head slightly. "I don't care what happened before I hired her. All I care about is how much easier my life has become since she got here. She's a hard worker doing her best to get by, and Mirai adores her." With the file in her hand, she pointed at him. "I expect you to keep your analytical mind focused on work rather than my personal life. One over-involved genius is enough—I don't need two."

"Please forgive me." Although she had not spoken in a tone that expected apology, he felt compelled to offer it nonetheless. "I did not mean to pry. What does our mission entail?"

* * *

Their assignment was one of espionage that required a great deal of subtlety and perfect coordination with their Yamanaka mission-mate. Fortunately, if that particular Yamanaka had any issues about Shino's relationship with Maemi, he didn't show it.

Although the mission required rigorous mental effort to succeed, Shino found his thoughts during down times wandering from professional to personal. Not only did it take conscious effort to not ask Master Kurenai about her new nanny but he also found himself re-imagining the scene of Yatsumi answering the door. In his fanciful version, her hair and kimono were restored, and the girl on her hip wore an Aburame's dark spectacles. His hive seemed to approve of his body's reactions to such thoughts, shifting in a soothing manner that ironically aggravated him, which forced him to contemplate the topic further.

For all intents and purposes, his hive was an extension of himself. It was one of the reasons Aburames were so acutely perceptive and self-aware; to be otherwise could mean disaster for yourself or others due to an out-of-control hive. So to be aggravated with his hive was to be aggravated with himself, which indicated his emotions remained conflicted.

_Maemi laughed at him. It was one of the attributes he'd always appreciated about her, that she was unafraid of laughing at him. "You act all decisive, but I'm not so sure you really know what you want." She gave his cup a meaningful glance. "Just because we're in a cafe doesn't mean you have to drink coffee. If you don't like it, why order it?" _

After mulling over why he still harbored warm feelings for Yatsumi, he realized that, in his haste to leave Honey, he had not provided himself with closure. It explained why he still dreamed of their time on the roof with unremitting longing; he had yet to properly sever his connection to those experiences. After all, he hadn't dreamed of Maemi since the day their relationship had ended.

But how was he to conduct a conclusive interaction with Yatsumi without causing potentially negative repercussions with his master? Normally, he could ask his teammates for help, but he was not confident he could convince them, given they seemed fond of Yatsumi. Considering that wrinkle reminded him that his father also seemed to like her.

His master and her child, his mission-mate, his friends, his father and even his hive...everyone seemed to appreciate Yatsumi, despite the pain she had caused him. It was impossible not to feel a bit put-upon, but it was also nonsensical to ignore the possibility he was missing some critical aspect of the whole situation, something everyone else could see but him.

Unable to bring up the issue with his master and uninterested in discussing it with his friends or father, that left Ino. After all, she had broken the fundamental friendship-centric tenant of Konoha by letting him fall into the emotional trap of their deceptive mission, so he felt she owed him. Also, since she was not particularly fond of him, there would be little harm done if their discussion turned into a disagreement.

* * *

"And what brings you here to darken my door?"

Since the war, Ino was usually kept too busy to tend her family's flower shop near the hospital, and it often drew young men like moths to flame when she did. But the shop was empty, and Shino had been maintaining surveillance on her for just such an opportunity. He lowered his hood. "I would like to discuss our last mission."

Opening her mouth with an expression that suggested she had a scathing retort, she seemed to reconsider. With a snick of her pruning sheers, she returned her attention to dethorning the roses on the sales counter. "Sure."

"I want to know the actual purpose of the mission."

After placing the finished rose in a container, she moved on to the next. "What do you think it was?"

"To trap a clansman into marriage."

With a derisive snort, Ino shook her head. "Officially, it was as Lady Reiko said. Unofficially, it was to bring single shinobi in contact with Yatsumi in hopes she might hit it off with one of them."

"And to win a bet." He left off the "while toying with the hearts of others" he felt would make it more accurate. It still hurt to acknowledge he had been so easily duped.

Slapping the sheers down, she looked up with a furious frown. "Was there anything Lady Reiko did that was that simple?" He hadn't considered it from that angle, but she kept going before he could respond. "The bet was an _excuse_, you self-involved ass! It was a justification to do what was harsh but best for all. Surely your goggles don't impair your perceptions to the point you couldn't see Lady Reiko's loyalty to her staff, and you were well informed of Lady Mushiroda's animosity toward the entire estate just because they took in Yatsumi. Yatsumi wasn't the only one who'd benefit from her leaving Honey."

The prospect that Yatsumi marrying a foreigner might have been a means of securing the wellbeing of the estate was enlightening and startling all at once. He wondered if Yatsumi knew, if it was part of the reason she seemed to believe herself undesirable. "Is that why you encouraged her to follow me here?" Ultimately, it fixed Lady Reiko's problem.

"What kind of a bitch do you think I am?" Ino shifted in discomfort, her ire fading into weariness. "I did it was because I was once in love with an arrogant, powerful idiot, and I made the mistake of thinking you were more rational and less selfish than him."

A shudder ran through him in response to the raw honesty of her reply. Even though she had once openly wept over her childhood crush, never had he heard her speak so plainly of her own personal pain. He didn't know how to respond.

With a shrug, she returned to her task. "Yatsumi is positive and resourceful. She'll do okay whether she's here or there, and she'll find her own happiness with or without you."

While a part of him was disgruntled at the possibility of Yatsumi finding happiness with someone else, his mental focus revolved around the subtext of Ino's confession. "You think she loves me."

He had to dodge her sheers, which lodged into the doorframe behind him.

"How does mankind continue when all men are so impossibly _stupid?!_" Her arm trembled with the intensity of her irritation as she pointed at the door. "Go ask _her_, not _me!_"

Appreciating their conversation was at an end, and not wanting to draw more attention from the startled passersby outside, he backed through the door as Ino's parting, "Arrrrggggh!" followed him into the street.


	20. Yatsumi and Mirai

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Set a few years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND MIRAI

Mirai was a blessing.

As grateful as Yatsumi had been to be taken in by the Hyugas, it had been a cold and reserved place, with few smiles and no laughter. Hearing it had become friendlier since the war made her shudder to think about what it had been like before.

When given the chance to become a nanny to the child of Lady Hyuga's master, Yatsumi had been uncertain. At first she'd worried about her performance at the Hyuga estate, but after meeting Mirai and Kurenai, as her mother insisted on being called, Yatsumi had fallen in love. Who could resist the little red-eyed beauty, with her fearless honesty and innocently imperious demands? Not only was Mirai a delight but also her mother's frankness and openness made her easy to work for and with. Each day Yatsumi spent with them dulled the overwhelming fear of rejection and threat of homelessness while soothing her aching heart. With Mirai to care for, there was little time to worry about failed romances with ninja princes, and it made her adore the child all the more.

So Yatsumi could hardly ask for a better job or place to live. Plus, she gained a sense of fulfillment by seeing the positive effects of her efforts through her direct interaction with her employer and child, as opposed to the faceless, replaceable labor she'd performed for the Hyugas. Indeed, Kurenai regularly thanked her for her work, grateful for the chance to enjoy simple pleasures "for the first time in five years."

As appreciative as Kurenai was to have someone assist in caring for her child and household, Yatsumi had soon learned her situation was uniquely beneficial to Mirai. Of all the people the child interacted with, only Yatsumi had not known Mirai's late father. Although many shinobi children were raised by single, surviving parents, Mirai's father had died before she'd even been born. With no memories of her own, Mirai often asked others about him. Since Yatsumi had no insight to offer, their time together was spent focused solely on Mirai, with no worrisome specters of dead fathers.

There was only one downside to working for Kurenai. Yatsumi's employer had been Lord Aburame's master, and it had been inevitable that they would meet again. As much as Yatsumi tried to put a positive light on their first encounter since his decisive rejection a month earlier—it helped her practice for future encounters—it had simply hurt to serve him as though he was any other guest, as though she had not caused him to smile and lost her heart to him.

In relation to that, there were the weekly outings with both Kurenai's first team and Mirai's father's last team. With the help of Lady Hyuga, Yatsumi managed to schedule dropping off Mirai before the others arrived, so there was no risk of running into Lord Aburame. The real difficulty lay in the time away from Mirai. Kurenai often used Mirai's absence to socialize with other adults, and without them to provide distraction, the empty home provided no means of keeping her thoughts focused on others. Try as she might to avoid it, Yatsumi would eventually contemplate how miserable she was over losing her relationship with Lord Aburame. All she could do was hope, over time, the painful regret would dull, that she would grow used to seeing him and recall their time together fondly. Until then, she dreaded the days when Mirai was elsewhere.

* * *

Shino was conflicted.

Although his own analysis of his romantic situation suggested the most logical course of action was to have some sort of conclusive, final encounter with Yatsumi to provide closure, learning Yatsumi might love him had set his thoughts into turmoil. Few Aburames found others who loved them romantically, and those who did and acted on it tended to be the ones with the most successful marital relationships. Yet how could he trust Yatsumi after such a profoundly personal deceit? Worse than his thoughts, his heart—completely against his permission or preference—had begun to behave erratically, recalling all the pleasant feelings Yatsumi had inspired in him before he'd learned of Lady Reiko's bet.

"_You can really be bull-headed, you know?" Maemi rolled her eyes at him. One of her friends was dating a man who had briefly bullied him in the academy, yet Maemi still wanted to go out with them. "How long do you need to hold a grudge? What good does it do?"_

Amidst this psychic upheaval, only one clear course of action presented itself. In order to bring clarity to the situation, he had to determine if, in fact, Yatsumi loved him, and the only sensible way for a shinobi to do that was to spy on her.

* * *

Spying was often a tedious job composed of vast amounts of dull surveillance lit with brief sparks of insight. Try as you might to be uninvolved, you usually lost respect for the subject by the end. That was not the case with Yatsumi, and within two weeks, Shino had memorized her industrious schedule.

After preparing, serving, eating and cleaning up after the household's breakfast, and if Master Kurenai didn't have work, Yatsumi would go grocery shopping every other day and do laundry most sunny mornings she didn't shop.

On the first day, he couldn't help noticing the worn quality of her ninja sandals, which suggested they were hand-me-downs or second hand. Since her hair was growing out, this indicated she had not cut it out of preference but to sell for necessities, such as practical footwear.

Although all the shopkeepers seemed charmed by her, the closest to personal revelations she demonstrated during her interactions with them were rejections to offers to meet single male relatives. That she would cast her gaze downward and not blush as she responded implied a sincere lack of interest coupled with sadness. How could he not suspect he was the cause?

After shopping or laundry, she would spend the morning teaching Mirai reading and writing and math, accompanied by a mid-morning snack break. Before lunch, Yatsumi would give the girl a coloring or puzzle book to entertain her while the meal was made. Lunch would be followed by a nap for Mirai that Yatsumi used as time to clean the flat. Afternoons were spent with a variety of activities, from playing in the park to visiting various government buildings. It seemed Yatsumi used the excursions to teach herself about Konoha as much as to teach Mirai. Their conversation at these times were revealing only in as much as they brought up discussions of what it was like outside of Konoha. Just once did their talk drift close to the subject he most wanted hear.

They were walking home from visiting the main gates and the guard station when Mirai asked, "Why did you come so far from home, Yatsumi?"

Although she smiled, it didn't reach her eyes. "There was something very important I had to do here."

Mirai was never satisfied with only part of a story. "What was that?"

"I had to apologize."

The girl stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips. "You left your home just to say you were sorry?" Clearly she thought the idea outrageous.

Turning toward the girl and kneeling to her height, Yatsumi's face was no longer visible, but he could hear the sincerity in her tone. "I unintentionally wronged someone I respect very deeply, and I couldn't sleep at night knowing that person thought ill of me. Even if I had to give up my home and everything I owned, I needed to explain in hopes of receiving forgiveness."

Caught up in whatever she saw in Yatsumi's face, Mirai's expression grew worried. "And were you forgiven?"

"No. But I've been able to content myself with having had the chance to explain."

"You risked everything and lost?" The trembling distress in the child's voice caused Shino's own heart to twinge. That he had considered Yatsumi's arrival in Konoha as manipulative was bad enough. How had he so casually dismissed Yatsumi's sacrifice as pitifully desperate rather than motivated by honesty and integrity?

With a shake of her head, Yatsumi grabbed the girl and gave her a hug. "I met _you_, didn't I? Only a fool would think of that as losing!" Straightening, she settled Mirai on her hip. "I hear there's a dango shop your mother likes near here. How about we pick some up for an after-dinner snack?"

Savvy for her age, Mirai seemed to understand Yatsumi was done with the subject, so she nodded with a grin. "Yeah!"

* * *

Depending on Master Kurenai's work, the after-dinner schedule varied, but their activities usually remained indoors and ended with a bath before story time, followed by bed.

Despite his ability to go unseen in plain sight, people tended to notice men lurking around a household full of ladies. He was eventually confronted by a fellow on the neighborhood watch who didn't seem to buy Shino's explanation that he was monitoring an immigrant who could be a spy.

Although Shino was half a head taller and obviously an Aburame, the older shinobi's bare arms were significantly more muscled. As he shifted them across his chest, they flexed with menace, and the man's look remained disapprovingly skeptical. "And what spy work could she be doing in the bath with a child?"

A giggle and splashing wafted up from the slightly-opened bathroom window beneath them. "She is very open with the girl, especially later in the day." It was mortifying to realize he must look like a peeping tom.

"Uh-huh." How could he blame the man for finding his behavior suspicious? "Wouldn't HQ normally send a kunoichi for this?"

Having never been assigned domestic surveillance, Shino was unsure, but his only real option was to agree with the man and leave. After that, he was limited to spying on Yatsumi when she left the flat.

* * *

The next spark occurred as he followed Yatsumi and Mirai to the park where his childhood team would spend the day with the girl. Yatsumi had just diffused a potential conflict with a neighborhood boy by observing he seemed to know an awful lot about Mirai for someone who acted like she was too young to play with. Although the boy was left awkwardly blushing and gaping like a fish out of water, no unkind words had been said.

With the authority of childhood wisdom, Mirai announced, "You'd make a good mommy, Yatsumi."

Blushing, Yatsumi laughed. "That's kind of you to say."

"So why aren't you a mommy?"

Some in Yatsumi's situation might find the subject sensitive, but she just shook her head with an amused grin. "Oh, I'm not pretty like your mother, so I doubt I'll ever get the chance."

Mirai seemed to consider the rationale ridiculous, for she rolled her eyes. "There are lots of ladies who aren't as pretty as Mommy but are mommies."

That caused Yatsumi to grin even more. "Well, I am also poor with no prospects, both of which are generally considered undesirable, whether you're a man or a woman."

That she acknowledged the fact so glibly irritated him. Did she really think that was all that concerned people, all that concerned _him_?

"But you're really nice and would make a good mommy. Doesn't that matter more?"

He couldn't help but agree with the child.

The sparkle in Yatsumi's eyes dimmed. "Maybe it will someday, to the right man." With a blink, she became falsely worried, scooping Mirai up. "But if that happened...I wouldn't be able to be with _you_, and that would be a tragedy!"

She kept the girl laughing until they met Hinata at their designated bench. Once she had extracted Mirai's vow to be good and have fun, Yatsumi waved farewell and headed back down the path. Shino was about to join them when a comment from Mirai kept him from leaving his perch in a nearby tree.

"Why does Yatsumi always leave before Shino comes?" The seriousness of her tone belied her age. "Does she not like him?"

Hinata shook her head. "She leaves because she cares for him very deeply."

With a frown, the girl watched Yatsumi as she walked along the path. "If you like someone, doesn't that mean you _want_ to see them?"

Nodding, his Hyuga teammate sighed. "Normally, yes. But seeing Yatsumi reminds Shino of a great hurt, and she doesn't want him to hurt more because of her."

Mirai made a scoffing noise. "How could Yatsumi hurt Shino? She's not even a shinobi!"

"It's not that kind of hurt. She reminds him of his wounded pride." Hinata had never said so to him, but that she said so to Mirai indicated it was an issue she was very certain about.

That apparently confused Mirai more, so she frowned again. "Yatsumi's nice. She wouldn't do that." Her defiantly decisive tone suggested some more proprietary emotion.

"Not willingly," agreed Hinata, "but she kept a secret for her old employer. When Shino learned of the secret, his feelings were badly hurt."

That caused Mirai's full focus to shift to Hinata. "What was the secret?" she insisted. "How was it so bad?"

Hinata seemed to debate going further, glancing from the girl beside her to Yatsumi and back. "Yatsumi's old employer had hired Shino just so he could meet Yatsumi, in hopes they'd fall in love."

"Like mommy and daddy kind of love?" She was old enough to perceive the difference.

Hinata nodded.

"But if it wasn't Yatsumi's secret, why is he mad at Yatsumi?" She was obviously indignant on her nanny's behalf.

"I don't know if he _is_ mad. She just reminds him of how he was tricked." With a thoughtful smile, she tweaked the girl's nose. "How do you feel when someone tricks you?"

"Mad." Mirai puzzled over it briefly. "But if he actually had mommy and daddy love for her...isn't that more important than being mad over being tricked?"

In a demonstration of her innate empathy, Hinata smiled and shook her head. "I don't know how he feels about her, but I think everyone would answer that question a bit differently."

"Would my daddy have been mad?" It was a common topic for Mirai, trying to build an image of her late father through comparison to others.

"Oh, I doubt it. He was a very easy-going man when he wasn't working. He probably would have laughed and laughed." She tickled the girl, causing a fit of giggles, then glanced up. "Oh look, there's Kiba."

On the other side of the field, Shino could see Akamaru bound up to Yatsumi, butting her hand with his head in search of attention. Kiba followed with a friendly smile and a question that had Yatsumi shaking her head and lowering her gaze to the ground. Akamaru shifted from playful to comforting, leaning against Yatsumi's hip while Kiba crouched down to look her in the eyes. Whatever he said then caused her to laugh and dab at her eyes. The thought that Kiba had said something to make her cry bothered Shino nearly as much as his getting her to laugh. Then Shino's Inuzuka teammate straightened and put a hand on Yatsumi's shoulder. His hive reacted negatively to that, causing Hinata to look behind her.

"Shino?"

Dropping from the tree, he landed beside the bench. "You are both looking well."

Red eyes scrutinized him carefully. "Why are your bugs all buzzy?"

"Mirai!"

Although Hinata found the question inappropriate, Shino did not. He actually preferred his hive be acknowledged, rather than treated like some embarrassing condition that shouldn't be mentioned in polite company. Having interacted with him since birth, Mirai was comfortable with the Aburame state of being like few others outside of the clan. It was one of many attributes that endeared the girl to him.

He shrugged. "I was contemplating something unpleasant."

The wind shifted, causing them to be upwind. A moment later, both Kiba and Akamaru looked in their direction. Yatsumi's gaze belatedly followed.

When she saw Shino, when their eyes met, it was as though they were the only ones there, and all his hard-won emotional distance evaporated. His pulse rose, and his heart filled with longing. Had those warm moments of bliss on that rooftop been genuine? Was it really just his pride that stood between him and more of that sublime feeling of contentment?

Before he was aware of his actions, he'd taken a step in Yatsumi's direction, but the trance was broken when Kiba touched her arm and asked something. The contact caused her to give a start, and she hastily raised her hands, as though to ward off his concerns. She bowed to Kiba. Then, though a field still separated them, she bowed to Shino before turning to take the path back to Master Kurenai's flat. Although she did not move hastily, she left more quickly than she'd come.

Hinata's voicing of her emotional wisdom had at times proven to be not only deeply insightful but also tactically critical, yet she was equally well-versed in the arts of discretion. So even though she must surely have had an opinion on what she'd just witnessed, Shino could trust her not to voice it.

The liberty and honesty of youth gave Mirai no such restraints. "You need to be nicer to Yatsumi."

He nodded as the last hint of Yatsumi's form disappeared around a bend and he could finally tear his gaze from her. "I believe you may be right."


	21. Yatsumi and the Cemetery

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Set a few years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE CEMETERY

As grateful as Yatsumi was for Lord Inuzuka's concern, if he hadn't asked her if she'd seen Lord Aburame, she wouldn't have seen Lord Aburame. Her father's death had taught her about mourning, and the loss of her relationship with Lord Aburame was following a similar path. But no matter her sorrow, moping was not in her nature. Yet after she had seen Lord Aburame again—so tall and strong and quietly handsome in the dappled shade of the oak trees that caused his outer coat to blend into its environment and reminded her of the first time he had hidden in plain sight for her—nothing she did could lighten her spirit. She tried reading a novel, writing letters to Lady Reiko and her mother, reorganizing the kitchen cupboards, experimenting with another recipe from the children's nutrition cookbook on Kurenai's under-utilized cookbook shelf, even working on one of Mirai's puzzle books provided by Lord Nara, but all Yatsumi could think about was Lord Aburame and the distance that separated them regardless of their proximity. So she moped and wished there was someone to tell her troubles to.

At last it occurred to her she should write to Suzu. Unlike her mother or Lady Reiko, who would worry if she told them of her misery, Yatsumi could tell Suzu what she was unwilling to share with others. It might not be as nice as talking face-to-face, but it helped her clarify her feelings. Although her goal in coming to Konoha had ended in failure, the journey had been extraordinary. She had met the most remarkable people and seen the most remarkable things—there really were giant faces carved in the side of a mountain, and Lord Inuzuka really did ride his dog like a horse! A broken heart was not fatal; she would survive. Ultimately she knew all she could do was continue making the best of her decision, even if that meant a bit of moping on the way.

* * *

Despite all his efforts, Shino was still no closer to learning about Yatsumi's feelings for him. Then the fates offered him a golden opportunity. On his way up the path to the public cemetery, his hive alerted him to something, and he instinctively shifted into the shade of the trees on one side. Uncertain what had set his kikai off, Shino scanned the area and realized Yatsumi was not far away, rinsing the grave of Neji Hyuga.

Disinclined to wait for her to leave but equally unwilling to interact directly with her, he did the only thing that came immediately to mind—he transformed into his father. After a moment's consideration, he realized it was the perfect option for sounding out her feelings.

"I did not know Neji had ever been assigned to Honey."

Yatsumi gasped in surprise, nearly knocking the water bucket over as she stood to face him. "Lord Aburame!" She offered him a deep, formal bow. "How nice to see you again. I hope you are well."

Experiencing Yatsumi's gregariousness from another person's perspective was interesting and somewhat refreshing. It reminded him of his first impression of her. As much progress as he'd made in his social behavior, thanks to her, the possibility of creating such a warm aura of welcome was still as magical and unattainable to him as catching dragons. "I am well, thank you." He gestured to the grave. "I am also surprised you knew Neji."

"I didn't." Turning from him, she poured a ladle of water over the grave before bowing to it and picking up the bucket. A tendril of smoke rose from the already-lit stick in the incense pot. "When I worked for Lady Hyuga, I would occasionally accompany her to visit and clean all the public Hyuga graves." Shifting her weight in discomfort, the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. "Although I do not mean to suggest Lady Hyuga does not deeply mourn all of her lost clansmen, or that she is in anyway less than a remarkably strong woman, I could tell his death was especially painful for her."

That didn't explain why she was washing it. Shino nodded. "Their history was difficult, but they were like siblings."

Slipping the bucket to her elbow, she raised her hands in prayer to the grave. "May you rest in peace."

"I am certain he does." In response to her curious look, he elaborated. "He died with a smile, having saved Hinata's life."

Her eyes abruptly teared over. "Oh, how difficult that must be for her."

How had he not considered the parallel to Yatsumi's father? "I did not mean to upset you." He offered her a handkerchief.

With a grateful smile, she took it and shook her head. "There's no way you could have known that my father had the same fate...that he died protecting me. Now I am doubly glad I clean this grave."

"You wanted to honor someone special to Hinata."

She nodded. "Yes, because I am grateful to her for all her help and because I cannot honor my father's grave."

It was an aspect of her coming to Konoha he hadn't considered; she had sacrificed so much just to apologize to him. No matter his own confused feelings for her, there was no denying her most admirable traits. "It is regrettable your situation has taken you so far from home."

She blinked at him in momentary confusion. "Oh no, Lord Aburame. It is not my leaving Honey that keeps me from fulfilling my filial duties. It's my own family. His ashes were interned in the Mushiroda estate graveyard, and since the funeral, I have never been able to go back."

No wonder her barrette had been so precious to her. "That is most unfortunate." He was briefly stymied over what to say next. Then he noted she had a second incense stick. "You will be visiting Asuma's grave as well."

Smiling, she nodded. "From all I have heard, I truly wish I had been able to meet him. More than that, I wish Mirai could have met him. I can only imagine he would have been as enthralled by her as the rest of us."

It was an endearing thought, the giant of a man subjected to the whims of a precocious little girl. "Yes, I imagine he would have been."

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached Asuma's grave, and it reminded him of how agreeable he had always found her company. Once they were done paying their respects, on impulse he asked, "Would you mind accompanying me?"

After a bow to him, her expression grew uncertain. "I would be honored, but I thought the hidden techniques of the Aburames required them to have special burials, like Main branch Hyugas. Also..." She gave him a sheepish smile. "I only bought two sticks of incense."

Having grown up with clan supply rooms providing for his every material need, it had never occurred to him incense could be purchased one stick at a time. "You are correct, but every shinobi lost during the war is publicly memorialized, no matter where they are buried. Also..." He dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a trio of incense sticks. "I have extra."

She took the offered sticks without hesitation. "You are most generous. Please, lead the way."

As they made their way there, he couldn't help noting how the autumnal colors around them complimented Yatsumi's hair and complexion, no matter how unflattering her oversized, likely second-hand coat might be.

At the base of the cliff that proudly sported the faces of the Hokage, a new memorial had been built since the end of the war. The polished wall listed all those who had died, regardless of which village they belonged to, as a reminder of how the nations had unified against a common threat. Beneath it, there was a long, narrow trough for incense.

When they arrived, Yatsumi scanned the names until she reached the Aburames. "Kiroku, Torune, Muta." Bringing her palms together, she murmured her thanks then lit and placed the incense. He did the same. "I'm so sorry for your loss." The common words of condolence were spoken with gentle earnestness.

He nodded. "We were more fortunate than many clans, to only lose three, but that two of them were manipulated like puppets against our allies was especially difficult for us to learn."

"No wonder your son was so upset by Lady Reiko's scheme." Had she really told his father so much?

Despite his surprise, he couldn't help admiring her again. Even with his exceptional self-awareness and excessive examination of the situation, he had never made the connection. "Perhaps...though I believe it has as much to do with his previous relationship as anything else." That had been one of the conclusions he had reluctantly drawn after Kiba had snapped at him when he'd criticized the Inuzuka for taking out his frustrations on the wrong people. Kiba had told him to look in the mirror before accusing others of that trait. After considering the objection, Shino had realized Kiba was referring to his behavior toward Yatsumi...not that he would admit the fault nor that his old teammate had provided him enlightenment.

With a shake of her head, she frowned. "I can't imagine what she was thinking."

He shrugged. "I kept out of it, but I find it difficult to do so this time." That got her full attention, so he decided to be more targeted in his conversation, in hopes of getting her closer to revealing how she felt. "He has not been the same since his return from Honey."

Brows knit, she bowed. "I am so sorry to have been a part of any trouble for your son."

Of course she would turn it into guilt! But what could he say that would get him the desired results? "I did not bring it up to cause you to feel badly about it but to draw a comparison." Once she straightened with curiosity in her eyes, he continued. "It would seem to me his relationship with you has affected him more deeply than his previous one." It was the truth, and he hoped speaking it would give her the confidence to speak her own.

"_Took you long enough." Maemi returned his initial hand holding with a mocking snort. "Caution may be sensible in battle, but you'll never get anywhere if you don't take chances with romance." Then she pulled him into a kiss that had made him think she loved him._

"What if Shino loves you?" The words sounded surreal, spoken so calmly in his father's voice, but the prospect caused his hive to shift contentedly, despite his heart racing.

Although Yatsumi did her best to hide it, her expression briefly lit as though he had offered her the moon, only to fade into her reflexive pleasant smile as she shook her head. "Your son has made his disinterest quite clear, so please forgive me for choosing to not contemplate hypothetical situations that have no possibility of occurring." Her free hand rested briefly against her chest, a gesture that could be interpreted a number of ways. "Besides, I have every confidence he will meet someone appropriate for his station."

Again he was irked by her placing his inclinations in such a shallow and superficial framework. "It is usually quite difficult for Aburames to find spouses, 'appropriate' or otherwise."

She gave him a skeptical look. "I mean no disrespect, but how can that be? Your clan is wealthy and powerful. From what I've seen, Aburames are tall and handsome, and if every man has a voice half as nice as his and yours..." Covering her mouth with her free hand, as though to catch the words and put them back in, she bowed to him. "My apologies. It's not my place to make such observations."

In an attempt to emulate his father, he chuckled. "What man would be upset over a compliment from a charming girl?" He offered her his hand, and she took it, straightening. Her fingers were more calloused than he remembered. "As you may know, Aburames are disinclined to approach issues directly, but I must ask... Do you love him?"

As much as the question caused his stomach to turn in anxiety, the agony on Yatsumi's face made any suffering of his seem paltry in comparison. With her eyes closed as though praying for relief, she spoke with halting effort. "If I say the words aloud...I must acknowledge them again in my heart...and I could not bear it, knowing he does not feel the same." It had taken her a year to manage her feelings over the loss of her father. It would seem two months were not enough for her to recover from the loss of their relationship.

He had been so wrapped up in his own unhappiness and wounded pride that he wouldn't allow himself to consider that he was hurting her as much or worse. How could he have doubted her feelings were sincere? Ino was right; he'd been a coward, was still being a coward by asking her to bare her heart while he hid safely behind the guise of his father.

Sandwiching her hand between his, he did his best to emulate his father's calm authority in spite of his own emotional upheaval. "I did not mean to cause you distress with my prying. Please... What will others think if they see I have made a girl cry?" He had to resist the audacious impulse to stop the trembling of her lower lip by pressing his own against it.

Always intent on the needs of others before herself, that caused her eyes to pop open with concern and glance around. Fortunately, the section of path they were on was deserted. Setting down the bucket, she fished out the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes dry. "I'm sorry."

With a gentle squeeze, he reluctantly released her hand and picked up the bucket. "Do not apologize for being honest. Besides, I was the one who brought it up."

She followed him to the place where buckets and ladles were stored. While he dropped them off, she splashed her face with water from the nearby pump. After using the handkerchief to pat her face dry, she looked down at the overused square in dismay. "I'm afraid I've all but ruined it."

When she offered it to him, he held up a hand. "Keep it. Perhaps, if Shino sees you have a handkerchief with the clan crest, he will wonder why you have been given one." In response to her confused expression, he smiled. "Although we shinobi may keep our cards close to our chests, know that there are many who hope you can resolve your differences with my son and find happiness together." He gave her a nodding bow, and she naturally bowed in return. "I wish you a very good day."

Then he sprang into the nearest tree, leaving her standing there, clutching his handkerchief with a dumbfounded look and the tiniest hint of a smile.


	22. Yatsumi and the Handkerchief

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Set a few years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE HANDKERCHIEF

"Are you willing to talk about it now?"

Seeking to clear his mind by connecting to the sense of nature growing still as winter drew near, Shino had been meditating on a platform in the garden when he had sensed his father approach. Although any Aburame worth his salt did not require meditation on a daily basis, it was an essential activity in maintaining control of oneself and, indirectly, one's hive. Only an important issue would warrant interrupting another's meditation, and Shino could think of just one current topic that might motivate his father to disrupt his contemplation.

"Yes." In truth, he could use his father's wisdom, no matter how lacking in objectivity Shino suspected it might be.

With a creak of wooden boards, his father sat on the edge of the platform near him. "Have you gotten past your wounded pride enough to determine how you really feel?"

It took effort not to frown and turn away. Instead, Shino nodded.

"Good." A red dragonfly buzzed past to land on his father's extended finger. It was cold enough that they had come down from the hillsides into Konoha. "Do you know how you are going to tell her?"

"No." He'd been planning on beginning to work on it after his meditation.

Different segments of the dragonfly's wings glinted in the light as his father absently shifted his finger. His attention seemed focused on the tiny hunter, though Shino knew better. "May I make a few suggestions?" Although spoken like an innocent offer, given the context of his interruption refusal was likely not an option.

A wind blew through the garden, and Shino was still deep enough into his meditation to feel it on a more than physical level. He let it blow through him and take the last dregs of his doubt and self-pity away. All that mattered was that he had hurt Yatsumi, rejected her in ways far less honest than Maemi ever had with him. With a sigh, he expelled the reticence of his ego and turned to face the man he respected most in his life. "Please."

"Apologize."

The simple word landed heavily in Shino's psyche, like a bolder in a pond, disrupting his calm and feelings of self-identity. While apology was not in his nature, he knew it was necessary, that Yatsumi deserved that much from him. Behind his initial, egocentric rejection of the idea was another issue, something new. After a moment's consideration, he was shocked to realize it was fear. What if he didn't say the right words? What if she didn't forgive him?

As though able to read his mind, his father put his free hand on Shino's shoulder. His hive shifted in response to the touch of its progenitor, a comfort for both them and Shino. "Be sincere and be honest. Have faith in her. If she is perceptive enough to sense an Aburame's hidden smile, there is no need to worry if she will perceive your sincerity, regardless the words you use."

A warm and promising sensation began to spread outward from the center of Shino's chest. It reminded him of the elation he felt the morning after he'd first kissed Yatsumi, only this feeling was more substantial and grounded. Of course Yatsumi would understand, no matter how he said it; there was no reason to worry on that account. He had a course of action that had a high likelihood of success, and success meant nothing as paltry and ephemeral as victory in battle. Success in this arena meant a life filled with contentment and pleasure and love.

At last feeling confident enough to face his dilemma, Shino found his father smiling broadly, a rare display even within the privacy of their estate's compound.

He patted Shino on the shoulder. "Shall we figure out the best way to go about it?"

"Yes." With his father's assistance, there was little chance of failure. "Please."

Nodding, his father slipped off his sandals to settle cross-legged on the platform, facing Shino. Setting the dragonfly free from the thrall of his Aburame influences, his focus on Shino became almost palpable, like the feeling of being watched. "First, let us discuss how to confess what you did in the cemetery. You were angry at her for another's deception, yet you pretended to be me for such an intimate conversation? Really, Shino, there's no dodging that hypocrisy. We may be ninja, but there is no justifying such behavior with the ones we love."

Although learning his father knew of the incident caused Shino to cringe, it did not dispel the warm, positive feeling he had. If his father knew of that, he likely knew of Shino's other Yatsumi-related activities. "Should I also tell her about-"

"Spying on her in the bath?" His father gave a dark chuckle. "Maybe after you've been married a decade or two...or never."

There was no denying the little burst of relief Shino felt. That his father openly considered Yatsumi a likely spouse for Shino gave him even more confidence. "I have considered several possible ways to begin."

"Tell me."

* * *

If she didn't have the material evidence—a handkerchief with the Aburame clan crest on it—Yatsumi might have believed she had dreamed her encounter with Lord Aburame's father. Had he really implied he approved of the match and his son loved her? Having hope restored hurt nearly as much as abandoning all hope, but she couldn't resist it. Rationalizing that she was still young enough to be foolish, she allowed herself a small serving of hope alongside her daily ration of bland but pleasantly distracting routine.

Mirai had been extra insistent on assisting with chores since Yatsumi's last encounter with Lord Aburame. While helping to load the clothes washer, she fished out the handkerchief with an odd spark in her eyes. "Did you get this from Shino?"

The girl had proven adept at reading, so Yatsumi supposed she shouldn't be astonished that Mirai recognized the crest of one of her mother's pupils.

"No. It was given to me by his father."

That caused the girl to frown. "He's too old for you."

Yatsumi nearly choked in swallowing the subtext. "Excuse me?"

"Don't you remember in the story of the kunoichi and the shipwrecked prince?" It was a bedtime story they'd recently read. The prince had given the heroine the only token of love he had, a royal handkerchief. "Shino's daddy has already had mommy and daddy love, so he shouldn't be giving you a handkerchief. Shino should."

And here she'd been thinking she'd been hiding her feelings well! Unable to help herself, Yatsumi asked, "And why should Shino give me one?"

"Caught with your hand in the cookie jar" perfectly described Mirai's expression. After a moment of consideration, she answered the question with a question, her earlier certainty having grown awkwardly shy. "Wouldn't you _like_ to get a handkerchief from Shino?"

She offered the girl a reassuring smile. "Only if he would like to get one from me."

* * *

"I want to go on the swings next! Push me, Kiba!" Laughing, Mirai sprinted to the swings as Lord Inuzuka pretended to chase her, their breaths leaving white puffs in the air.

It was an outing day with Kurenai's first team. Lord Aburame was away on a mission, so only Lord Inuzuka and Lady Hyuga were visiting with Mirai. When the two had come to pick Mirai up, all three had insisted on Yatsumi joining them. Yatsumi hadn't really socialized with people her age since she'd arrived in Konoha, and Kurenai had assured her she was not needed at home. So she'd happily accepted the invitation.

Yatsumi sat on the end of a park bench, with Akamaru on the ground beside her and Lady Hyuga on the other side. Together they watched the exuberant young man push Mirai so hard her swing would become perpendicular to the ground. All the while, Mirai giggled with glee. Back in Honey, the sight would have been alarming, but Yatsumi had come to realize such extreme forms of play were not unusual among ninja. Children walked across the tops of monkey bars as often as they swung from the bottom, and teeter totters were regularly implemented to launch one of the riders into the air to perform dramatic leaps and practice stable landings. Apparently Mirai preferred Lord Akimichi for that particular task. Of course, with Lord Inuzuka there, hide and seek was pointless, but Yatsumi had seen other children hide in the most remarkable places—the eaves of park restroom roofs, beneath manhole covers, even under water.

As usual, Mirai's laughter brought joy to Yatsumi's heart. She might have once been responsible for the pleasure and comfort of many guests at the Zeniya estate, but focusing all of her attention on one person was equally rewarding.

"She doesn't ask about her father nearly as much as she used to." There was a small smile on Lady Hyuga's lips.

"You think so?"

Turning to Yatsumi, Lady Hyuga nodded. "Even Shino has commented on it. Mirai has never been a dower girl, but she seems...perhaps happier isn't the right word. More sure of herself?" Nodding again, she faced the swings once more. "Whatever it is, it has been a positive influence on her, and it's all thanks to you."

"That is kind of you to say."

"It's the truth, and we are grateful for you being in her life."

As the words warmed Yatsumi's heart, Akamaru sniffed at her pocket and grumbled. He had been sniffing at her coat pocket on and off throughout the morning. Yatsumi had learned no one but Lord Inuzuka fed his canine partner, and she had never seen the mighty dog beg for food. However, there was nothing in that pocket but animal crackers for Mirai, in case the girl grew hungry before lunch.

"Akamaru, please tell us at some point what it is about Yatsumi's pocket that has you so distracted today."

The great beast grumbled more then gave a disappointed huff. Perhaps it bothered him they didn't understand?

"Akamaru!" Mirai called out as she flung herself from the swing.

In a pale blur, the dog raced across the grass to position himself in the perfect spot for Mirai to land on.

Even though Yatsumi knew there was no call for concern, it still caused her heart to leap into her throat as she watched her charge fly through the air. A part of it was worry, but there was also a sense of awe. Ah! To be raised with such fearlessness! Although it was not universal, for Lady Hyuga seemed to lack it, nearly every kunoichi Yatsumi had met was a confident woman sure of her capabilities. It was like living in a town filled with Lady Reikos, and Yatsumi couldn't help thinking it made Konoha a better place.

Lady Hyuga chuckled as Akamaru and Mirai went loping across the park with Lord Inuzuka jogging after them. "We'd better get going, or Mirai will grow impatient."

They managed to not keep Mirai waiting too long. After five rounds of hopscotch, one of which ended in a three-way tie between the three ladies, they moved to the sand box until an audible growl from Mirai's stomach declared it was time for lunch.

Yatsumi was surprised when Lady Hyuga asked, "Where would you like to go, Yatsumi?"

"Wherever you usually take Mirai would be fine."

Mirai exchanged a look with the kunoichi then nodded. "Yatsumi always looks at the Asagao Cafe when we pass it on the way to the library."

"Then let's go!" Picking up the girl, Lord Inuzuka gave her a good shake to get the sand off then placed her across his shoulders with a broad grin. Off they went in the direction of the cafe.

"You don't have to go there just because I'd like to." It felt a little strange to be given such differential treatment from her employer's pupils.

"Why not?" Turning, Lord Inuzuka walked backward with the same surefooted skill as he walked forward. "It's not like any of us _don't_ want to go there."

"Yeah!" agreed Mirai.

Lady Hyuga gave a little nodding bow. "Please let us treat you, as thanks for your conscientious care of Master Kurenai and Mirai."

A pleasing sense of camaraderie blossomed in Yatsumi's heart alongside the hope she had daringly allowed to live there, and it made her feel more complete, like she was slowly regaining a part of herself she had lost in coming to Konoha. To be acknowledged in any way by these powerful veterans of the war that saved the world was truly an honor, and she treasured it. With a bow she acquiesced to their gentle insistence. "Thank you so much! I am truly grateful for your companionship and consideration."

"Relax!" With a snort, Lord Inuzuka turned back around. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Yeah!" Using Lord Inuzuka's headband like a handlebar, Mirai leaned back until she was hanging upside-down from the shinobi's broad shoulders. "It's no big deal!"

"You're wide open!" Lord Inuzuka took a few jogging steps, which caused Mirai's head to bounce against his back. After a split second of surprise, the little girl pulled herself upright and laughed. Together, they romped ahead, the sunny autumn day made even brighter by their liveliness.

Asagao was a cheerful cafe with many windows and cushioned chairs. Since the others insisted that she get whatever she most wanted, Yatsumi ignored the prices and ordered a seafood gratin she had always fancied whenever she'd had the chance to look at the menu. After the first bite, she had to sigh in delight. It was a perfect indulgence on a brisk day.

A small smile ghosted across Lady Hyuga's lips. "We're so glad you're enjoying yourself."

"It's so good!" Try as she might, Yatsumi had yet to master the subtle art of cooking seafood. The dish was far superior to anything she could manage, though tasting the rich, steaming, satiating goodness made her determined to reach that level eventually. "I'm just sorry Akamaru has to wait for us outside."

Lord Inuzuka made a dismissive sound as he swallowed a bite of his roast-beef sandwich. "It happens a lot when I eat out. It's not like he's missing a meal, and he's not going to freeze or anything."

"That reminds me." Setting down her soup spoon, Lady Hyuga nodded toward Yatsumi. "Akamaru kept sniffing Yatsumi's coat pocket for some reason. Do you know why?"

"I have a snack for Mirai-"

"It wouldn't be that." Without a hint of reserve, Lord Inuzuka plucked Yatsumi's coat off the back of her chair and began sniffing it until he came to the one pocket. "Probably because it smells like Shino." As though belatedly realizing what he'd said, his eyes grew wide. "Have you two made up or something?"

"It wasn't Shino." Mirai spoke with the smugness of someone with insider information. "It was Shino's daddy."

"No." Shaking his head, Lord Inuzuka's tone became unwaveringly certain. "It smells like Shino."

To say she was surprised would be an understatement. "But how could that be?" Yatsumi accepted her coat back and examined the pocket as though doing so could solve the mystery. "I haven't seen him since the park two weeks ago."

"But she met Shino's daddy at the cemetery on her day off." Mirai's tone was insistent. "So it must be Shino's daddy you smell."

Lord Inuzuka's expression grew a bit sour, but before he could say anything Lady Hyuga calmly chimed in. "Kiba has known Shino for more than twice as long as you have been alive. If he says it's Shino's scent, then it's Shino's scent."

Eyes bright, Mirai smiled like a cat after catching a canary. "Then the one who gave you the handkerchief _was_ Shino!"

"Mirai, please lower your voice," Lady Hyuga softly chided.

"Oh. Sorry." Although the girl's tone had returned to indoor levels, she was literally bouncing in her chair with excitement. "Yatsumi, the handkerchief wasn't from Shino's daddy after all."

"But it was." Their certainty confused her. "I know they look similar from behind, but I can tell the difference, especially after twenty minutes."

Lord Inuzuka and Lady Hyuga exchanged a meaningful look. Then he shook his head with a disgruntled huff. "Henge."

"Henge?" Yatsumi was beginning to feel a bit left behind.

"Transformation," explained Mirai authoritatively.

"You mean when a shinobi replaces their body with another object to escape harm?"

Lady Hyuga shook her head. "That would be kawarimi. Henge is the ability to change your appearance into that of another object or person." To demonstrate, she brought her hands together and made herself appear like Kurenai for a moment before going back to herself.

As understanding dawned on Yatsumi, the gratin began to sit a little less comfortably in her stomach. "So while I thought I was talking to Lord Aburame's father..."

Nodding, Lady Hyuga absently spun her soup bowl with her fingers, as though nervous. "You were actually talking to Shino."

Recalling their conversation in the cemetery, how she had all but bared her soul to him while he had stood there in the guise of his father... She had to clutch her napkin in her lap to keep her hands from trembling with anger. It was a rare emotion for her and not one she had ever thought to experience related to him, and its potency surprised her.

"Yatsumi, are you all right?"

Glancing up from her lap, Yatsumi found Mirai gazing at her intently, her brow furrowed with worry.

"I thought you'd be happy that Shino gave you the handkerchief."

With effort, Yatsumi didn't laugh at herself. "But he didn't really give it to me, at least not honestly."

"After he treats you like crap for keeping someone else's secret, he's too chicken shit to talk to you in person?" Lord Inuzuka patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You have every right to be pissed. Hell, _I'm_ pissed at him for it."

"I'm sure he was just trying to avoid an awkward situation." Lady Hyuga toyed with her spoon. "To run into Yatsumi-"

"He's a _ninja_," insisted Lord Inuzuka. "He could have just hid in a tree until she was gone or something."

"No...he couldn't have." They both focused on Yatsumi again, and she tried to keep her voice calm, her self calm. There was no point in getting angry at Lord Aburame's friends; they had been nothing but kind to her. "He came to me as I was washing the grave of Lady Hyuga's cousin. There are no trees nearby."

"Wait—he came to _you_?" Lord Inuzuka seemed clearly confused. "Why would he taunt you like that?"

"You guys aren't getting it." Mirai shook her head. "It was Shino being Shino."

"Shino's a lot of things, but he's never been a chicken-shit jackass before."

That made the girl frown at Lord Inuzuka. "That's not what I mean."

Mirai's evident frustration at not being understood distracted Yatsumi from her ire. "What _do_ you mean?"

The girl was quiet a moment, apparently working to find her words. "Shino was mad at Yatsumi because he'd been tricked. So he'd...he wouldn't feel safe talking to her as him, as Shino. He's always careful, and pretending to be his daddy would be...it would make it safe for him to talk to her."

Tilting his head, Lord Inuzuka scratched his jaw in contemplation. "That makes sense, I guess. How did you get so clever, pipsqueak?"

With a lift of her chin, Mirai straightened importantly in her chair. "Shikamaru and Ino are two of my mentors, after all."

Lady Hyuga seemed puzzled by the whole situation. "The question is—Why would Shino bother talking to her in the first place?"

"Why?" Mirai rolled her eyes, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Because he misses Yatsumi as much as Yatsumi misses him."

"That's a rather big leap to make." Lady Hyuga voiced Yatsumi's thoughts, for at that moment Yatsumi was too stunned by the possibility to speak.

"If he didn't want to talk to Yatsumi, he wouldn't have talked to Yatsumi." Returning her gaze to Yatsumi, Mirai was dauntless. "What did you talk about?"

Lady Hyuga's cheeks colored. "Mirai, it's not polite to pry."

"What do you mean?"

Waving his hand in front of his nose as if to ward off the topic. "She means you shouldn't stick your nose in where it's not wanted."

"Wouldn't that hurt?"

Lord Inuzuka shrugged. "Depends on whose business you stick it into."

Their amusing banter helped Yatsumi find her voice. "They mean you shouldn't ask other people about private concerns unless you have been invited to do so."

"Oh." That seemed to deflate the girl a bit. "Do you not want to talk about it?"

Yatsumi's ire was gradually being replaced by burgeoning hope. "While I'd rather not discuss the specifics, the conversation did turn personal at the end."

"Aren't all conversations personal?" wondered Mirai.

A speculative tone had entered Lord Inuzuka's voice. "She means they talked about feelings and stuff."

Mirai's smile returned; this time it was radiant with happiness. "Why would he do that if he didn't want to know about your feelings and stuff? Isn't that more important than being mad at him for tricking you?"

It was a compelling question. "I'll have to think about it."

* * *

DETAILS

Asagao is the Japanese word for morning glory. I thought it would be a cute name for a cafe.


	23. Yatsumi and the Noisy Cricket

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: To everyone who has read and reviewed, faved and followed this series—thank you! I truly appreciate it and have enjoyed sharing Yatsumi and Shino's story with you all. Although this is the concluding chapter, I do have plans to write an epilog to tie a few dangling threads up. If life is kind, I will have the time to do so by next Saturday, but if not I hope you all will be patient with me. Thank you, again, and please enjoy the resolution of "Bees Need Honey."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

YATSUMI AND THE NOISY CRICKET

It was one of those days when Lady Yamanaka's team spent the afternoon with Mirai, so Yatsumi had the flat to herself again. She was putting away the laundry when a cricket boldly leaped from between the towels.

_Chirp!_ It hopped to the edge of the hall and watched her stow the linens. _Chirp!_

Although Yatsumi idly considered it strange that a cricket would fly so high as to end up in laundry dried on the roof of a three-story building, she didn't pay it much mind as she finished storing away everyone's clothes.

_Chirp!_

That it seemed intent on following her also seemed peculiar.

_Chirp!_

How did such a tiny thing make such a big noise?

_Chirp!_

Once she was done, the cricket seemed happy for her attention, even if that attention involved chasing it around with a glass in an attempt to catch it.

_Chirp!_

Hopping from right to left, backward and forward, it all but danced until they ended up near the entry. Then it stopped, as though waiting for her.

_Chirp!_

"What an odd little bug you are."

_Chirp!_

"Are you going to hold still for me?"

_Chirp! Chirp!_

It didn't so much as twitch while she approached. After a dash and some groping, she had the cricket safely captured. With her free hand, she zipped up her sandals and slipped her keys into the pocket of her coat.

_Chirp! _Even through the glass, it was loud.

Although Yatsumi knew full well crickets could fly, she was disinclined to release it off the third-floor walk, so she carried it down the complex's stairs before trying to dislodge it from the glass.

_Chirp! _It slipped about but wouldn't leave its little jail.

She shook the glass. "Go on."

A passing neighbor gave her an odd look.

_Chirp!_

Most people would have just killed the thing and been done with it, but she remembered her father telling her about how you could determine the temperature based on the frequency of cricket chirps. How could you casually end such a fascinating creature, nature's thermometer? Reaching into the glass, she fished the cricket out, but it wouldn't let go of her hand.

_Chirp!_

"What is with you?" No amount of shaking her hand or twiddling her fingers would do the trick.

_Chirp!_

"Do you want this to end badly?"

It turned away from her. _Chirp!_

In the direction it pointed, she heard a few more chirps coming from the small park down the block. "Will you get off if I take you there?"

_Chirp! Chirp!_

Setting the glass on top of the complex's mailboxes, she headed off. "Fine then. Let's go."

Another neighbor gave her an odd look and shook his head. Just what she needed—a reputation for talking to bugs like a crazy person.

The tiny park wasn't much, but it was pretty. There was a small pond and benches shaded by trees. Swallows flitted here and there, catching mosquitoes, and Yatsumi had seen bats after nightfall. When there wasn't a riot of crickets chirping, setting foot into the park was like walking into a quieter, calmer space, for the trees and shrubs muffled the sounds beyond them. Yatsumi would sometimes bring Mirai when she was wound up. By the end of a storybook, the girl was usually ready for a nap if she hadn't fallen asleep already.

After finally dislodging her clinging guest at the foot of some bushes, the chorus of crickets stilled, and she felt a familiar sensation climb up her back. Standing, she turned, and there was Lord Aburame—tall and handsome, with his hood and collar down to reveal his stiff hair and manly features. Her heart stumbled over itself in trying to figure out how to react as her fingers clenched in remembered the coarseness of his dark locks.

At last, common courtesy kicked her brain into gear, and she bowed. "I apologize if I've disturbed you, Lord Aburame."

"You have not disturbed me. Why? Because you are the reason I am here."

"I am?" She straightened and found him holding out both hands to her, his brow furrowed in seriousness. Without thinking, she placed her hands in his, and he grasped them firmly, as though she might try to slip away from him, though she couldn't imagine a mere civilian could manage such a feat. Belatedly, she realized the cricket must have been performing on his orders, and she wondered why he had felt the need for such subterfuge. No matter the outcome, she was doubly glad she hadn't squished the noisy little bug.

After a long moment, he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He frowned, drew a deep breath, and tried again. "I apologize for how I treated you when you arrived in Konoha."

It shocked her he was able to say such words, but that he said them to her made them all the more remarkable. "There is no need to apologize. You have every right to-"

"No, I do not." He shook his head and squeezed her hands, as though willing her to accept his words. "When a Hyuga says someone is telling the truth, any teammate with sense will listen to them. But I did not listen because my feelings regarding you had driven all sense from me."

She gasped at the implications, not all of them flattering.

Heat colored his pale cheeks, and he frowned again. "I do not mean..." Then he sighed and surprised her by bending down to press his lips to hers.

For a moment she didn't know what to do with this dream-like encounter. Instinct took over, and she returned his kiss without caution or reserve. If this was the last chance she had to show him how she felt, she wasn't going to let it go to waste. If this was not a last chance, then why hold back after three months of fantasizing about little else?

This time his kiss was neither calm and controlled, like the one they'd shared on the roof, nor was it heated and possessive, like one he'd given her before rejoining the meteor-viewing party. Instead, there was something raw and needy, almost desperate about the way his lips pushed against hers a bit too forcefully and shifted a bit too feverishly. Halfway through, he released her hands so he could clutch her head, his fingers combing her loose hair as though it was the most fantastic of textures. She was the one to calm him, her fingers trembling with the thrill of being able to touch his face once more.

Eventually, he seemed to regain control of himself, his kiss gentling until he gave a final peck before pulling away. Even in the dappled light of the park, she could clearly see how flushed he was and wondered if she was the same.

"I was the one who spoke with you in the cemetery, not my father." Again, he surprised her, confessing so boldly to such an unbecoming incident.

"I know."

He seemed surprised by that, his eyebrows lifting high on his broad forehead. "You do?" After her nod, he spoke hesitantly. "And you...are not angry?"

Letting her hands drop to his chest, she could feel his heart racing through his shirt. "Oh, I was quite angry at the time." Then she gave him a big smile. "Then your friends convinced me you would not do such a thing maliciously, and I realized they're right."

"You forgive me?"

"I forgive you." She could feel the tension in him ease, his heart calm beneath her hand.

"Yatsumi, you are..." And then he was kissing her again, as though her lips were a magnet he could not resist the pull of. This time his kiss was eager and excited, and she responded to it in kind.

At last, he pulled away. "Do you want this?" There was a panting quality to his voice, as though she had winded him. "Do you want _me_?"

She had to remind herself, regardless of intellect, people could be as dumb as posts when it came to love. "With all of my heart." Tracing his darkened lips with her fingertips, she dared to ask. "Do you want this and me?"

His brow smoothed and he smiled. "More than I can say."

As he swept her up into a tight embrace, she finally gave hope back the reigns of her heart, filling it with sweet joy. He was so tall that, standing close, his chin rested on her head, but somehow, it all felt just right, even if she had to go on tiptoe to kiss him like that. She was so content to stand with him alone in the little park that she began to hum a favorite love song from Honey. He seemed to join her, but as she wondered how he knew the tune, she realized the sound was coming through the ear she had pressed against his chest. It was his hive.

"Are they humming?"

She felt him nod. "Their equivalent of it. They are pleased we have reconciled." He sounded rather pleased himself.

Pulling away, she looked up at him. "So they care about this sort of thing?"

His face was back to its usual sedate calm, but the corners of his lips were turned up in subdued contentment. "What is good for me is good for them. They have remained loyally in your camp, even when I was filled with doubt."

It was both pleasing and curious news. "They like me?"

He smiled outright, making her feel lightheaded. "Nearly as long as I have, and they would remind me of it even in my sourest moments."

Of course, any sour feelings were in no small part her fault. "I truly am sorry for all the difficulties Lady Reiko's bet has caused you."

Bending down, he kissed her softly, soothingly. "I am not, for I met you because of her bet." Straightening, he brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear in a casually comfortable way that made her feel completely sublime. "I caused my difficulties more than anyone else, and I hurt you because of my selfish behavior." Stepping away, he pulled out a pale wooden box from his pocket and bowed as he held it out to her. "I offer this to you as an expression of how sorry I am and how sincere I am in my interest in you."

She was so astonished the heir of a noble clan of Konoha would ever lower his head to her that it made her head spin. "Lord Aburame, please do not bow to me!"

"Only if you call me by my given name and accept my gift." There seemed to be a hint of amusement in his quietly determined voice.

Grasping the box, she blurted, "Please, Lord Shino!"

When he straightened, he was serious once again as he inclined his head toward the box. Opening it, she gasped in amazement—it was her barrette! Her eyes stung with tears as she was overwhelmed by the sentiments of the precious link to her family. "However did you...?" Upon pulling it from the box, she grew confused. Although it looked the same, the dragonflies were colored with green and blue, not the familiar red and gold. "This is..."

His hands wrapped hers, and she looked up to see what might have been concern crease his brow. "I have yet to locate the original, so I had this made as a substitute until it is found."

_He had it _made_?!_

The thought knocked around her head like a stone down a well, and she was reminded of the distance in their status. "It's amazing, but I'm just a nanny. Won't your clan object?"

Shaking his head, he gave her a little frown. "My father likes you, and regardless of your current situation, you are a noblewoman of Honey. There should be no objections...unless you are still uncertain about involving yourself with an Aburame."

With an exasperated sputter, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss of her own. "How do you know you father likes me?"

"Other than your great aunt, I do not think there is anyone who _dis_likes you." He smiled again, making him appear more relaxed than she'd ever seen him. "He was charmed by your very first encounter and even helped me plan all this."

As she laughed, a thought occurred to her. "You were watching me do the laundry?"

With a shrug, the crickets began chirping again. "My mission-mate had a lot of work ahead of him. The least I could do was to help him onto the roof."

"The line between shinobi and voyeur seems a bit blurry at times," she teased.

His blush returned. "As I have been informed." But before she could ask about it, he tilted his head toward the box in her hand. "So you like it?"

"I love it!" After another kiss, she handed him the box so she could clip the barrette onto the few inches of hair that dangled past her nape. Then she turned her back to him. "How does it look?"

After a moment's consideration, he made a little sound of dissatisfaction. "The colors do not compliment your hair as well as the original's."

Facing him, she raised an eyebrow. "Is that an appropriate answer?"

His cheeks colored slightly. "It is lovely." His solemn tone made it almost sound like a vow.

She laughed. "Your social skills continue to improve."

"With your help I hope to keep improving." The sincerity in his voice made something inside of her feel like it was expanding, as though she was taking her first step into a new world, a new life.

Although Yatsumi would have been perfectly content to do nothing all day other than stand there with Lord Shino, her stomach reminded her it was late afternoon. "Won't you stay for dinner? Mirai will be so pleased."

He took her offered hand, and they headed back to the flat. "So she has made her opinion about us known to you as well?"

"She has been rooting for us since she saw the handkerchief. She'll be thrilled."

Nodding, he smiled, causing a neighbor lady to stare in surprise. Apparently Yatsumi wasn't the only one to find Aburame smiles dazzling.

"Kiba will also be pleased."

Snatching up the abandoned glass, she made her way up the stairs with him in tow. "Lord Inuzuka and Lady Hyuga have been extremely kind and accepting of me. I am grateful to them both." She sensed as much as felt him stiffen. "What is it?"

"It feels somewhat odd, my giving you social advice." After she'd given his hand an encouraging squeeze, he continued. "I know you only mean to show respect, but at some point it would be good if you would begin referring to Hinata by her name. I am certain the use of such titles reminds her of the division in her clan that has caused them so much difficulty, but she is too polite to say so."

If that was so, Lady Hyuga hid her feelings well. "What of Lord Inuzuka?"

Lord Shino's lips tilted up. "He is both delighted and amused by how you address him. If he wants you to stop, he'll say so." After a reassuring squeeze of his own, he added quietly, "Although I find your politeness endearing, I wouldn't mind you calling me just 'Shino' someday."

_Shino._

As tantalizing as the prospect was, it seemed disrespectful, given her lowly status and her decorous upbringing. "Someday," she promised. Releasing his hand, she got out her key and invited him in.


	24. Epilog: Yatsumi and Shino

SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: My apologies for taking so long to finish and post this epilog. Between work, family crises, and other concerns, I haven't had much time for writing, and what time I have had has gone to my own stories. However, finishing this has been long overdue, and I thought today, the anniversary of the day I posted the first chapter, was the right time to post the last. I would like to thank you all for your patience, especially the person who allowed me to adopt this story. Happy anniversary!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

EPILOG: YATSUMI AND SHINO

"Well...isn't that something?"

Reiko nodded in agreement with her awed travel companion. Although she hadn't visited Konoha since before the war, there was no forgetting the powerful impression of five hill-sized faces staring out from the cliff on the western edge of the city. There was something about the beginnings of the sixth face taking shape that made her feel a bit nostalgic...and a bit old.

"Indeed, it is."

It wasn't long before their carriage was passing through the massive eastern gates. There at the guard station was a familiar petite blonde with a face half the age it should be, a face that matched the fifth one on the mountainside. "Right on time! I'll sign for 'em, boys." With a toothy grin, Reiko's old drinking companion stamped the appropriate papers then ordering a bevy of young ninja to unload the carriage.

Once the work was underway, she heartily embraced Reiko. "It's good to see you again." Despite barely reaching Reiko's shoulder, her presence was equally dominating as she examined the others. "Who is this you have with you?"

"Suzu, Momiji, and Kanae."

Reiko's entourage bowed with differing levels of skill and chorused, "Nice to meet you."

"You, too. You, too" The satisfied smirk was an expression the stone face didn't even hint at but looked best on the retired Hokage. "You must be hungry and thirsty. I know just the shop to stop by on the way to my place." It wasn't even two yet, but Reiko's travel companions were all too polite and well trained to comment on it. Instead, they followed in the wake of the little blond as she commented on this building and that landmark as they went.

Konoha was thriving, with streets full of shoppers and sounds of construction echoing in the distance. It was difficult to believe it had been all but completely destroyed a handful of years earlier, but there were signs. The streets were wider than Reiko remembered, and there were few substantial trees. Somehow that amplified the sense the town was bigger, more densely populated, despite the crushing losses from the war. There also seemed to be a large amount of strollers and toddlers—living, giggling evidence of the post-war baby boom. It made her both happy that her friend's town was rebounding from its devastation and also reminded her of the old pain of being unable to have a child of her own.

As though sensing her thoughts, Tsunade patted her shoulder. "We do the best we can with the cards we're dealt. I think we've both done pretty well." Gesturing to a modest two-story restaurant, she slapped Reiko's shoulder with unsympathetic vigor. "Here we are, ladies."

The scent of roasting meat and onions wafted from the open doors and windows. As they entered, a waitress bowed to them. "Welcome to our restaurant, Lady Tsunade. We have a room for your and your guests upstairs. Please follow me."

The grill masters attending long, narrow charcoal grills chorused. "Welcome!" The darker interior and a pair of lazy overhead fans helped give the illusion it wasn't over-warm, but the place was well patronized even during the heat of summer.

Although the stairs they climbed had wooden steps, Reiko could tell by the lack of give there was concrete beneath them, a modern design that was unfamiliar yet not unpleasant, another sign that the times were changing. But times always changed. No point in feeling off kilter about it.

The stairs opened up unto a long hallway with five sets of sliding doors. There were several pairs of sandals in front of the last one. The waitress led them to it and slid open the doors. "Here you are!"

Before Reiko's companions could object that it was someone else's room, everyone was shocked into silence, the only sound the whir of a standing fan and the distant buzz of the crowds coming through the window.

"Mother?"

Ah, it was always worth the expense to create such a moment, better than any party theme she could imagine! There, at the far side of the room, Yatsumi stood up from her place at the long table. It had only been a year, but she seemed older still, with the kind of confidence that comes from having found one's place in life.

"Yatsumi!" Kanae rushed past to embrace her daughter. "Look at you!"

While the joyful mother and daughter reunion ensued, the two men in the room stood. Shino also looked more mature. Of course, she hoped that was the case, given his craven behavior when he'd left her estate. It wouldn't do for Yatsumi to be involved with someone who didn't appreciate her. The other man looked like an older version of him, with silver streaking his black hair.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Zeniya. I am Shibi Aburame, Shino's father." He gave her a half bow. "You have my gratitude for helping to orchestrate this."

His voice was even smoother and deeper than Shino's. Reiko wielded her folding fan to maintain her distance. "You have my welcome. Please call me Reiko." Her gaze shifted to Shino. "I trust you have been treating Yatsumi well since your reconciliation."

To her complete shock, and the apparent shock of everyone but Shibi, Shino bowed to her deeply, his spine parallel to the floor. "I am sincerely sorry for my poor behavior last year. Your generous hospitality deserved much better, and it is because of you I met Yatsumi. No amount of thanks would be enough." Straightening, he offered her a small box he'd pulled from who knows where. "Please take this token of my gratitude and apology."

Soon Yatsumi was beside him, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "And I'm sorry I left you with no lady-in-waiting. Please take it, Lady Reiko. I promise you'll like it!"

"Go on, Reiko," encouraged Tsunade, already settling down at the head of the table. "Forgive him already."

Snapping her fan closed, she slipped it into her sleeve so she could accept the box formally, with both hands. "Thank you, Shino." The box was cleverly carved like a mum, her favorite flower, and once she tilted the lid up, inside she found an ornamental hair comb with a pair of spectacularly lifelike gold bees perched atop the mum that made the handle of the comb. It was a stunning and expensive gift, with the bees' bodies imbedded with amber beads and black pearls.

Momiji peeked over her elbow. "It's amazing!"

"Do you like it?" The hope was obvious in Yatsumi's tone.

Passing the box to Suzu so she and Momiji could get a better look, she raised her eyebrow in skepticism. "Did you help him select this?"

Her ex-lady-in-waiting blushed and laughed. "Only in that I told him your favorite flower when he asked about it."

Shino offered a little half bow. "If it does not appeal-"

She held up a hand to silence him. "It is exquisite and well considered. Thank you."

Then, as though unable to restrain her happiness, Yatsumi embraced her. "Thank you so much, Lady Reiko!"

"I'll forgive him his poor behavior when he left, but pretty bobbles will not persuade me he is worthy of Yatsumi."

"I look forward to the opportunity to convince you, if you'll allow it." It was the most forthright and spirited words she had heard from the young man.

"Convince me."

"Enough posturing!" Tapping her painted nails impatiently on the wooden table, Tsunade waved a menu at her. "Come sit, and let's eat."

"Oh! Let me introduce everyone!"

And so Yatsumi introduced everyone to each other. There was a red-eyed beauty with a charming little girl who were also there, Yatsumi's current employer and child. Not long after a quiet young woman with thick black hair arrived with a wild tattoo-faced young man, Shino's teammates. Even Ino dropped by to say hello. It was an interesting meal with an entertaining diversity of people and topics.

As Reiko observed Shino and Yatsumi, she saw that Shino was far more comfortable in this small group of people he knew, but it seemed more than that. He seemed more comfortable with her by his side. They supported each other's conversations with an effortless ease, as though two parts of a whole. And they didn't even need to say a word when managing the communal dishes that were brought, as though they already knew what the other would want. It wasn't just Yatsumi being her usual attentive, considerate self. He would refill her tea before her cup ran low and offer her the choicest options of her favorite foods. They even occasionally moved in tandem, so in sync with each other they frequently sipped their tea at the same time.

Leaning close, Tsunade murmured with the taunting tone of someone who has known their companion for too long to let them fool themselves. "What do you think?"

"I had always considered them compatible, but that doesn't mean he is worthy."

"Care to place a bet?" A sly smile spread across the blonde's face. "I say you'll approve of them in three days."

The little thrill of a challenge raced up Reiko's spine. "What are we wagering?"

"You're going to the ocean after Konoha?" In response to Reiko's nod, her friend smirked. "Then you pay for me and Shizune to go, too. That woman could use a vacation."

"And if you lose?"

The blonde shrugged as though it was obvious. "I'll pay."

"Done!"

* * *

That evening, as the merry group parted ways for the night, Reiko saw how reluctantly Shino let go of Yatsumi's hand, as though he couldn't bear to be apart from her. It reminded her of how she and her husband had been when they were young and especially toward the end. When teased by the little girl, Shino just nodded with a close-lipped smiled. Reiko had never seen him smile. It was both shocking and stunning. He really was quite handsome enough without smiling!

The next day, as they toured a war memorial, it began to rain. Yatsumi's parasol couldn't handle the downpour, so Shino used his coat, elevated by some of his beetles, to keep Yatsumi dry, though he became drenched in the process. On the climb to the top of the Kage Mountain and its sweeping views of the town, Yatsumi tripped, and he was there to catch her before she fell. As they picnicked on Tsunade's likeness at her insistence, Shino reached over and scratched Yatsumi's back, though she'd done nothing more than roll her shoulder to indicate anything was amiss.

Back in town, when an overburdened delivery man was about to walk into Yatsumi, Shino was in front of her in a blur of motion that had Reiko questioning if he hadn't been there all along. He not only took the impact for Yatsumi, he was polite about it, helping the man right the packages that were in danger of falling. After all, being uptight would have spoiled the jolly mood.

And then she saw him smile at Yatsumi. The girl wasn't even looking at him, so she couldn't be dazzled by his fine white teeth lighting up his sedate features. Indeed, Yatsumi was busy engaging the little miss who was her charge. Carrying the child on her hip so they could participate as equals in a lively banter that would make anyone smile.

Her own heart rate having increased by catching the shinobi's secret smile, she decided it was time to cut to the chase. He shifted subtly at her approach. "I am not her mother, but I expect as much or more for her as her mentor. Do you love her?"

Nodding, he subdued his smile to the upturn of the corners of his mouth. "Completely."

"And you will care for and respect her?" Love was easy and seductive, but without mutual understanding and respect, a relationship was unlikely to flourish.

"I learn more from her every day, and my life is bettered by having her in it." He shrugged. "As to caring for her, she is quite capable of caring for herself, but it would be my pleasure to provide for her in any way she would let me."

"And Kanae?" Reiko had brought Yatsumi's mother because, with the attention to the Zeniya estate gone along with Yatsumi, the shrine had become the focus of Mushiroda ire. She had every intention of leaving Kanae in Konoha.

His goggles flashed as his gaze shifted to Yatsumi's mother. "A small house has already been built in the Aburame estate, should she choose to accept the offer."

It was all she could want and more. "Tsunade, you win!"

Everyone's attention turned to her.

Head tilted in curiosity, Yatsumi laughed. "What are you talking about, Lady Reiko?"

Ever blunt, Tsunade beamed and barked. "I bet her she'd approve of Shino by the third day!"

That caused an uproar. "What?!" "Oh!" "Lady Reiko!" "How could you bet on that?" "What a dumb bet. Of course Shino'd win."

"Now now!" With raised hands, Tsunade got the crowd to simmer down. "Let us older gals have some fun. It's all fine in the end, right?" Once everyone agreed, though the little girl still looked sour over it all, the ex-Hokage laughed. "That's more like it! Let's go for some zarusoba—my treat!"

"I know just the place." Taking Shino's hand, Yatsumi led the way.

As the laughing, happy crowd marched ahead, the two seniors brought up the rear. It was more than satisfying knowing she had played a part in helping to get Yatsumi out of Honey and into a better life. Although she was spouseless and childless, as long as there were those she could care for and about, she would never be alone, and she would never be bored.

"You're right, Tsunade."

"Of course I am!" The blonde gave her a sideways glance. "What about this time?"

"I think we've both done pretty well."

* * *

Thank you, everyone, for following Yatsumi and Shino along their path to love. I wish you all happy reading!

Oh, and zarusoba is chilled buckweet noodles, very nice on a warm day.


End file.
